


The World Begins With You [The Demon Lord]

by XxLittenFirexX



Series: The World Begins With You [2]
Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-02-03 10:03:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 111,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12746112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxLittenFirexX/pseuds/XxLittenFirexX





	1. The Demon Lord

With all parts of Neku gone Damien then snaps his fingers and teleports himself to his district: The City of the Cursed (which also has an urban feel to it with broken skyscrapers) ln this district, only the current Demon Lord or Mistress can reside there alongside their Watchman (the Demon equivalent to a Conductor) unlike the Trail of Black Tears' floor, which is a road covered in gravel, the world that Damien would now reside in has a tiled road colored in dark gray.

 

 

 

 

He then walked towards an area that had what looked like a hotel there. Damien then held out his hand to the hotel's door and summoned red energy

 

 

 

 

(a form of demon energy that can be used to unlock barriers and for attacks)

 

 

 

 

and slashed the door removing the illusion in front of him and the hotel then dissolved into thin air revealing a Gothic Cathedral, the home of the Demons' ruler, representing the King or Queen like authority they have under the ranking of Demon Lord or Mistress.

 

 

 

"Ah, what lovely architecture" Damien says aloud

 

 

 

 

 

He then opened the door of the Cathedral and proceeded to go inside.

 

 

 

 

 

At this moment Joshua and Mr. H's plan begins to unfold in the RG

 

 

 

 

Beat and Rhyme had another "normal" day. As normal as a world without their best friends could be. They went to Hachiko and would hang out with Eri.

 

 

 

They noticed she's been extremely sad without Shiki, it's been a lot harder for her to make anything without the skilled, fast hands of her seamstress friend.

 

 

 

 

" 'Sup Eri" Beat Said waving hello to her as she walked to the dog statue

 

 

 

 

"Hey Beat" Eri said trying to cope

 

 

 

 

"soooo you got any new stuff yo?" Beat said happily

 

 

 

 

"heh heh, yeah I do… but the things I try to make don't turn out as good without Shiki. I can design and sew the clothes together by myself..but it takes a long time...Shiki has always been better at the sewing part than designing. She;s always been better than me at that...and now it's a lot harder without her" Eri said sadly

 

 

 

 

"Yeah… Shiki told us how you two were like a balancing act" Rhyme added "that you were like a machine. Now that one of your parts is missing the machine can't function properly"

 

 

 

 

Eri then chuckled

 

 

 

"heh heh, well look at you, using such a well thought out simile, you must have a very good vocab Rhyme…And yeah...things have been really hard but, I can't stop… Shiki's my friend… and now that we KNOW that she and Neku are somewhere out there, I wouldn't want her to be watching over me seeing me give up my dream"

 

 

 

 

"Yeah that would really hurt her and Phones." Beat added

 

 

 

 

"Neku? You think he would be sad if he heard about that? If I gave up my dream…even though he doesn't know me as well as Shiki?" she asked while hanging her head

 

 

 

 

"heh heh well of course he would. Phones would always say to us to do what you want, how you want, when you want. You know, one of the slogans CAT has?"

 

 

 

 

"yeah" Eri said lifting up her head smiling "The joy of living life how you want to live it, to be free. I think that's what CAT's trying to say through his graffiti."

 

 

 

Eri then noticed how Rhyme was hanging her head seeing how sad she was. Something that Rhyme would never show

 

 

 

"Hey Rhyme what's wrong?" Eri asked concerned

 

 

 

"Huh? Oh… I… I'm fine really" Rhyme said smiling

 

 

 

"You sure?" Eri asked sadly

 

 

 

"Y-yeah I was just thinking about something that's all" she responded cheerfully

 

 

 

"heh heh, yeah that's all it was yo. No need to worry Eri" Beat added

 

 

 

(he knew something was wrong with his sister so he figured it was best for them to leave if she wanted to discuss what was bothering her)

 

 

 

"So you wanna hang out?" Eri asked smiling "we could go eat at Ramen Don"

 

 

 

"heh heh sure that'd be great" Rhyme said smiling

 

 

 

"Guess whatever was bothering her musta gone away" Beat thought

 

 

 

 

The three friends then went to ken doi's restaurant and ate ramen together.

 

 

"You know Beat, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, but...you're a pretty cool guy" Eri said with a smile

 

"huh?" Beat said after swallowing his ramen

 

Eri then ate some more and swallowed before continuing 

 

"it's just, I guess I'm trying to say, thanks...for doing this, that you and Rhyme wanted to eat at Ken doi's restaurant with me. You didn't have to, you know?" she said looking at him a little shy

 

Beat then chuckled

 

"Heh, well don't mention it yo. Me and Rhyme wanna hang with you too" he said smiling back at her

 

"Yeah, we wanna make sure you're okay too you know?" Rhyme said happily

 

"Thanks, guys. It really means a lot to me." Eri says as she then looks down at her food bowl as her eyes began to water "I just wish I could've told Neku thanks for how he helped Shiki. and now I'll never see them again and--"

 

Beat then nudged her shoulder making her look at him startled

 

 

"Yo, dotchu go there aight? Dontchu be gettin' all sad 'n stuff, 'cause that ain't the Eri that we know." Beat sternly

 

 

"Me and Rhyme are gonna be here yo, and you know Neku and Shiki wouldn't wantchu bein' sad" he added

 

Rhyme then giggled

 

 

"He's right, plus there's always the UG right?" Rhyme added

 

 

Eri then giggled

.

"Yeah that's right, I still can't get over how that's an actual place." she said giggling

 

 

Beat, Rhyme and Eri then all giggled, happy that their little secret of that special place was something that made them hopeful in a way

 

 

 

They hung out for hours knowing how much they needed each other's company and how it helped deal with Neku and Shiki's death easier and Eri took Beat and Rhyme to 104 and bought them some clothes in the style she knows Beat and Rhyme like, making Beat a little bashful yet happy since he's never shopped with a girl before other than his sister. Eventually, they parted ways with Beat and Rhyme heading home.

 

 

 

Ever since they lost their children Beat and Rhyme's parents have become very protective of them, however some old habits die hard and Beat would sometimes get into arguments about his future with his parents due to them worrying about him even more now that their children have a second chance at living

 

 

 

Rhyme locked herself in her room hearing them argue

 

 

 

"SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO YO!?" Beat roared at his mom and dad

 

 

 

"I AIN'T THAT SMART, THERE'S ONLY A FEW STUFF THAT I'M GOOD AT, BUT EVEN THAT AIN'T ENOUGH FOR YOU!" Beat screamed

 

 

 

"YA LOST YOUR TWO KIDS, WE WERE HIT BY A CAR, YOU GUYS WERE ALL ALONE WID OUT US AN' STILL NOTHIN'S CHANGED! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAN' ME!"

 

 

 

"UNDERSTAND YOU?!" his mother cried "WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU'RE LAZY ALL YOU DO IS RUN AROUND ON YOUR SKATEBOARD!"

 

 

 

"YOU HAVE NO GOALS. YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE BEAT! AND I'M CONCERNED! YOU'LL BE IN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE YOU KNOW IT! AND RHYME WILL BE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL! WHEN WE LOST YOU AND RHYME, WE FELT LIKE FAILED AS PARENTS! WE FELT LIKE WE LOST A CHANCE TO HELP YOU!" she yelled frustrated

 

 

 

"AND WHAT KIND OF BROTHER GETS HIS LITTLE SISTER KILLED!? YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO LOOK AFTER HER AND LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED!" his father added in

 

 

 

"OH SO NOW YOU GONNA BUST THAT ON ME!? YOU GONNA USE OUR DEATH AGAISNT ME!? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW DAT CAR WAD COMIN' YO! I DID ALL I COULD AN--

 

 

 

"Screw this…" Beat said darkly "I ain't gotta put up wid this"

 

 

 

 

"and where are you going to go?" his dad asked "To Neku's like you do when we argue? He's dead. he can't help you, can't be there for you he's--

 

 

 

"DON'TCHU EVER TALK ABOUT NEKU LIKE THAT!" Beat screamed (he was so enraged by his dad trying to use Neku against him that beat began to cry)

 

 

 

"Neku man….he… he was like da brother I never had… when he was alive, he'd let me go there when you all pissed me off… he'd even give me advice on what I should do… how I should try to talk to you… but… he's gone now and now I'm stuck wid you again." why… why is it that my own parents hate me.?"

 

 

 

At this point Beat's tears were streaming down his face. Seeing this then made Beat's parents look at him in shock

 

 

 

"Beat...we don't hate you...we just want what's best for you" his mother said sadly as tears went down her face

 

 

 

"We just want you to live a life we never could. To get to the best colledge possible, for you to have the best education possible. We just want you to be happy. We were so hurt after losing you and Rhyme...now that you're back, now that we have a second chance to be a family, we just want you to have the best life possible" Beat's father added

 

 

 

Beat then hanged his his with more tears falling

 

 

 

"Did ya ever think I was happy da way I am yo? I ain't good enough for alla dat." Beat said with his voice breaking

 

 

 

he then turned away and walked away from his parents

 

 

 

"Beat, we only meant that we love you, we never meant to make you so upset that you ran away that dat and got hit by the car! We never wanted to lose you" his mom said as tears streamed down her face

 

 

 

 

"Your mother's right! we just want you to be happy, both you and Rhyme. We're trying to understand you better, but we just don't want you to waist your life" His father also said with eyes watering

 

 

 

 

As Rhyme over heard the argument, she too began to cry

 

 

 

 

"enjoy every moment with all you've got" she thought "Do what you want, How you want, when you want"

 

 

 

 

 

 "how" she said aloud "how can I enjoy the moment and do what I want… when I don't KNOW what I want…. I don't know how to enjoy the moment"

 

 

 

 

Rhyme then currled into a ball and allowed the sound of her choppy breathing to drown out her family's arguing…

 

 

 

Hours past, and the tension lessoned. Beat then went to Rhyme's room to check up on her when he sees her laying on her bed.

 

 

 

He wondered why she hadn't changed her clothes since it was getting late and they had school tomorrow, it was already 10:45pm

 

 

 

 

"Hey Rhyme what's up?" Beat asked saddend

 

 

 

"I… I was just thinking about my entry fee. Your entry fee was my love for you as my brother, so i forgot who you were, I lost my memory, mine was…I… I don't even know!" She exclaimed

 

 

 

 

"I just wish I had a goal in my life… a purpose for living. But… ever since I got back to the RG, I've had to face the fact that all of you survived the Reapers' Game. You all got your enrty fees back… but mine's gone forever." she then began to feel her eyes water again

 

 

 

 

Beat then sat next to his sister on the bed

 

 

 

 

"look… I'm not so good wid phrases 'n words like Phones is… or you… heh heh, but it's just like you told me Rhyme:

 

 

 

 

"I know you'll find your dream one day"

 

 

 

 

"sometimes yo, I think your entry fee musta been your dreams, you…you're the one who had a million reasons to live… there was a lot you wanted to do. But even though those dreams you musta had are gone Rhyme, you can make new ones yo." he said smiling

 

 

 

 

"Make new ones?" she said weakly

 

 

 

"well o' course!" he replied happily "jus' think about the stuff you like an' try to live life wantin' to do it. Like wid Phones n' his Graffiti. Or Shiki an' her love for sewing. Ya jus' gotta do what you like yo"

 

 

 

"do what I like to do?"she reapeated

 

 

 

 

Rhyme then hugged her brother

 

 

 

 

"Thanks Beat… you know, I think Neku's starting to rub off on you, you really are getting better at expressing yourself" she said happily

 

 

 

"heh heh, thanks" Beat said happily

 

 

 

 

Eventually the two went to sleep.

 

 

 

 

The next day arrived and the two siblings never awoke from their sleep. Their fate was the same as Neku and Shiki's

 

 

 

 

Their parents felt guilty over the argument yesterday and noticed their kids aren't getting ready for school and proceeded to wake them up. When they knew what fate had befallen them, they were overwhelmed with grief and heartache knowing now they could never say "I'm sorry" a second time.

 

 

 

(deep down they love Beat and just want him to succeed in life which is why the unintentionally put so much pressure on him. That, and anger going into the mix caused what they're trying to tell him to come out wrong)

 

 

 

 

Beat and Rhyme woke up in the White Room, making them call out for Shiki and Neku, but then were teleported to the foggy place with a spiral galaxy and saw the same bright light that Neku and Shiki had. It then became an orb that zapped the both of them, reverting them into Human Souls. They then flew into the sky and touched the seconed white orb that led them to the Fledgling district.

 

 

 

 

The moment they arrived there, Beat and Rhyme both felt a sharp pain in their backs and collapsed.

 

 

 

 

At that moment Mr. H, Joshua, and Shiki all felt their pressence.

 

 

 

 

(at the time Shiki was in the Enightened district practicing how to obsorb more energy)

 

 

 

 

Sadly at that moment someone else felt their pressense as well.

 

 

 

 

Damien explored the Cathedral and eventually found his section, the throne room of the Demon Lord. In this room he'd consult his Watchman and give him orders to give to the Scouters.

 

 

 

 

 

As he did this, the Watchman noticed the Demon Lord smile exposing his shark teeth.

 

 

 

 

The man has white hair spiked exactly like 777's but with a piece hanging on the left of his face.

 

 

 

He had red pupiless eyes, and wore a tuxedo similar to the Demon lord except that his coat was pitch black and open to reveal a blueish gray shirt underneath with the collar folded down. He also had black pants and black matching shoes.

 

 

 

 

"well this is interesting…" Damien said in a dark tone of voice

 

 

 

 

 

"what is is sir?" the Watchman asked

 

 

 

 

"It seems two Human Souls arrived in the Higher Plane, and they arrived at the exact same time…very unusual" Damian responded

 

 

At that moment, a servant appeared to try to welcome the new Demon Lord. She appeared through a red portal. She wore a dark black dress with long sleeves which had a purple trim that spread out in the shape of flower petals, wore matching high heals and had long blueish black hair that flowed down her back with her bangs parted down the middle but with one bang curved to her left side

 

 

"ah, forgive me if I'm interrupting! I merely wanted to welcome you here to the throne room as our new Demon Lord, my lord. My name is Akemi, and I hope to serve you well. Would care for some tea my lord?" Akemi said sweetly

 

 

Damian then smiled at her

 

 

"Akemi was it? Well thank you for the greeting, and why yes, tea does sound like a splendid suggestion right now. I thank you for the offer" Damian replied

 

 

Akemi smiled and snapped her fingers, making a glass cup appear in her hands and tea poured into it.

 

 

"Here my lord, please enjoy" she says as she holds the drink out to him

 

 

Damien then takes the cup and drinks all the tea and gives the cup back to his servant.

 

 

"That was very kind of you Akemi, you make an excellent servant" he said with a smile

 

 

"Thank you my lord, remember to call on me any time you would like some tea or any other way I may be of use" she says bowing

 

 

at that moment another female demon appeared looking almost exactly like Akemi but with hair at shoulder length  with bangs parted to the left and were more choppy, being four pieces and had a red trim on her long sleeves while also wearing matching black shoes

 

 

"Greetings Lord Damian, I'm Akemi's little sister Hikaru, like her, I'm also good at making tea, but I can be useful for other things too. I can see you have plans so forgive me for the intrusion" Hikaru said bowing

 

 

Damien smiled at her too,

 

 

"Not an issue at all. It's good to meet my staff and now I know I can think of ways that I can make sure you're all useful, now as to what I was doing before, I was about to discuss something with my Watchman. You may now be excused" he said kindly

 

 

"Okay, thank you my lord. I promise to be of use whenever you need me" Hikaru added

 

 

the two young women then entered red portals and disappeared allowing Damian to continue his discussion

 

 

 

"Watchman, do you think you can keep an eye on things while I'm gone?" he asked

 

 

 

 

"Of course sir… but, where are youy going?" the Watchman asked curiously

 

 

 

 

"well I am a new born demon after all, if it wasn't for the fact that my power is so intense, I'd be a Mongrel as you know. So I wish to test out my abilities… I'll be off Fledgling Hunting… it should take only about 30 seconds so I'll be back soon" He responded

 

 

 

 

The Demon Lord then opened a portal and went to the Higher Plane Shibuya where his targets rested unaware of the powerful threat approaching

 

 

 

 

As Beat and Rhyme regain conciousness they see a black blur in the distance slowly creeping towards them.

 

 

 

 

"ngh… yo Rhyme you okay?" Beat asked

 

 

 

 

"Y..Yeah.. Ngh…I feel really tired though" she replied

 

 

 

 

As it got closer it gained focus revealing Damien.

 

 

 

 

"yo wazup wid that person walkin' towards us?" Beat asked

 

 

 

 

"I don't know he looks kind of creepy" she replied

 

 

 

 

"yeah something about that guy don' feel right" Beat replied darkly

 

 

 

 

"let's bounce Rhyme. Anywhere's better than bein' wid that guy" he insisted

 

 

 

 

"yeah… I don't want him to get too close" Rhyme replied

 

 

 

 

As they got to their feet getting ready to walk away from him, the Demon Lord snapped his fingeres allowing them to feel just a tiny portion of his power.

 

 

 

 

Beat and Rhyme began to scream in pain as their bodies trembled from the pressure he released on them, forcing them to fall to their knees and sit down watching him approach. Damien's presence is so overwhelming that just him getting closer caused Beat and Rhyme to be overwhelmed with a sense of death, that they were about to die

 

 

 

 

He then smiled at them and then snapped his fingers, making Beat and Rhyme power down to a human form, making them look at their hands in shock before looking back at Damien and see him generating red demon energy as lightning in his right hand

 

 

 

 

At the moment he did this, Damien felt someone pull his left arm with such force that he was tossed into the air, making Beat and Rhyme revert back to being ghosts. It was Mr. H at full blast, his true self.

 

 

 

 

The Angel then tackled the demon to the ground

 

 

 

 

 

"GO!" Mr. H cried "Get out of here NOW!"

 

 

 

As they looked at the mysterious Angel in shock they heard a voice from behind them.

 

 

 

 

"come on!" the voice cried "there's no time to explain!"

 

 

 

 

They turned around to see Shiki before them

 

 

 

 

"Shiki!" they both cried

 

 

 

 

 

She then grabbed them both by the arm and led them into the house she and Neku had made.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. H fought Damien fiercely, determined to give Shiki time to escape.

 

 

 

 

The two powerful creatures flew in the air at mach speeds generating energy that clashed over and over.

 

 

 

Eventually they engulfed themselves in their energy until only a black strand of energy and a white strand of energy zigzagged across the sky clashing once again trying to defeat their opponent.

 

 

 

 

(this costed them a lot of energy causing them to no longer be engulfed in their energies and eventually reverted back to their original forms)

 

 

 

 

 

The moment they did, Damien teleported behind Mr. H at the blink of eye, and slashed Mr. H's back with Red Demon energy. He then let out a scream of pain as he instantly turned around and grabbed his former friend by the neck and smashed him into the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

The Demon Lord merely smiled at Mr. H (who now reverted back to his human form to conserve energy) and dissolved his body into black smoke and flew into a portal to return to his dimention

 

 

 

 

 

When the fighting finally stopped Shiki took Beat and Rhyme (who thanks to her healing energy feel better) outside to see Mr. H's back facing towards them and saw the four long red slashes on his back.

 

 

 

 

 

"MR. H!" they all cried

 

 

 

 

"Mr. H what happened!?" Shiki cried

 

 

 

 

Mr. H then generated his white healing energy in his human form healing his slashes making them disappear

 

 

 

 

"Hey you three! I'm fine no need to worry" Mr. H replied laid back

 

 

 

"BWAAAHAHAHAA! Mr. H what was wid that white glowy light yo!? I ain't ever seen you do that." Beat cried

 

 

 

 

"Yeah that….that was amazing" Rhyme said astonished by what she saw

 

 

 

 

 

He then walked over to the three friends

 

 

 

 

 

"I guess there's some explaining to do eh Shiki?" Mr. H asked

 

 

 

 

 

"yeah…" Shiki said sadly

 

 

 

 

 

"yo Shiki what's wrong?" Beat asked seeing the sadness on her face

 

 

 

 

"it's… it's Neku… something's happened to him and--

 

 

 

 

 

(shiki then felt a tear go down her face)

 

 

 

 

 

"AW HELL NO! WHAT'S WRONG WITH PHONES!? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM!? GRRR I'MMA POUND THE PERSON WHO MESSED WID HIM!" Beat roared

 

 

 

 

 

"BEAT YOU CAN'T!" she cried

 

 

 

 

 

This then caused Rhyme to look at her with shock

 

 

 

 

"Shiki what's wrong?" Rhyme asked sadly

 

 

 

 

"Shiki, you know why they're here. They need to know" Mr. H reminded her

 

 

 

 

"yeah… I know" she replied

 

 

 

 

 

(he then told her that he's going to report to Joshua what happened and dissolved into a ball of light and went back to the Composer Domain)

 

 

 

 

 

Shiki then wiped her tears from her face and took a deep breath

 

 

 

 

 

"guys… that person who tried to attack you, that person who was so powerful that just being close to him made you overwhelmed with pain, that person… was Neku" she said darkly

 

 

 

 

 

"what!? But… that's not possible. Neku would never hurt us, I mean yeah, the guy we just saw _did_ kinda look like him but… there's no way that's Neku!" Rhyme cried refusing to believe it.

 

 

 

 

Shiki then hugged Mr. Mew tightly

 

 

 

 

 

"he is" she said filled with heartache

 

 

 

 

 

Shiki then told Rhyme and Beat all the things she and Neku went through.

 

 

 

From his first demon encounter where he nearly died and was first infected with demon energy, to when they met Clarissa, and how she's become a serious problem.

 

 

 

 

She then told them about how they learned how to tap into their imaginations and activate their Enlightened forms, and how she and Neku nearly died in the war.

 

 

 

 

 

Then… as much as it hurt her to tell them… she then told them about the demon energy.

 

 

 

How it began to consume Neku more and more untill he was lost… how he had become the Demon Lord, the monster they had just faced.

 

 

 

She then explained how on top of that, Neku's mind and soul is broken. He's back to the way he was before he entered the Reapers' Game and how he didn't remember her.

 

 

 

 

"Neku…" Beat said with his eyes watering

 

 

 

 

"so whatchu sayin' is...that person that tried to kill us… that was really him?" Beat asked

 

 

 

 

"yeah… it was" Shiki said hainging her head

 

 

 

 

"no… Neku… why? Why did this have to happen to him?" Rhyme said with heartache

 

 

 

Beat then began to feel enraged

 

 

 

 

"GRRRRR WELL DAT'S JUST GREAT!" he roared "SO SINCE PHONES DON'T EVEN REMEMBER YOU, THAT MEANS HE DON'T REMEMBER US YO! IT'D BE LIKE HE WAS NEVER IN THE GAME! SO NOOOOW HE'S BACK TO BEING DAT ANNOYING, MEAN, MOPEY, HEARTLESS, CARELESS, F*@$ING JERK!"

 

 

 

"SHUT UUUUP! HE'S NOT A JERK!" Shiki roared

 

 

 

 

"Bwaaahahahaha!" Beat cried "Geez Shiki ya don' need to get so duffenasive 'bout it… cause he WAS a jerk back den man. All we tried to do was help him out an' he didn't trust us yo!"

 

 

 

 

"DID YOU EVER STOP TO WONDER _WHY_ HE WAS LIKE THAT!? DID YOU EVEN ASK!?" Shiki roared with her eyes watering

 

 

 

 

"Shiki you don't need to yell" Rhyme said sadly

 

 

"Look, I'll admit it! I know we didn't get along at first! I know there were times where I annoyed Neku, and he annoyed me, but...deep down...I sort of wanted to know why. I'm not denying that we had a rocky start but...you never saw the change in him Beat, not like how I did. I saw him slowly go from not liking me...to seeing me as his friend. Deep down, Neku was just hurt." Shiki said sadly

 

 

 

 

She then let go of Mr. Mew allowing him to drop to the floor and land on his feet, as her fists trembled with rage and her head hanging facing the floor.

 

 

 

 

"Neku… he was like that because of all the things he went through as a kid" she said as her voice broke

 

 

 

She then looked up at them with tears streaming down her face and wiped them away seeing a confused looking Beat and Rhyme

 

 

 

"you mean…. he never told you?" Shiki asked in shock

 

 

 

 

"Told us what?" Rhyme asked curiously

 

 

 

 

"About how he got that way, about his childhood." Shiki replied sadly

 

 

 

"no…. he never told me or Beat about that …ever" Rhyme replied

 

 

 

 

"Yeah da most Phones would say about that subject is that he was hurt by people an' den drop it by saying:

 

 

 

 

_"it's something I don't really like to talk about… it's something I wish I could forget"_

 

 

"So me an' Rhyme just respected Phones an' never brought it up again" Beat said

 

 

 

 

"oh" Shiki replies awkwardly

 

 

 

 

"he… he told me about it" she admitted feeling shy

 

 

 

 

"well of course he'd tell you Shiki" Rhyme replied smiling

 

 

 

"huh?" Shiki said confused "what do you mean by that?"

 

 

 

 

"heh heh, you were Neku's first real friend. The first person that reached out to him and not want to hurt him." the little sister said happily

 

 

 

"The first person to be able to look past his sadness by revealing the sadness you felt. You were the first person… that he ever really talked to, the first person… that he trusted." Rhyme said smiling

 

 

 

 

 

"Rhyme's right yo!" Beat added in happily "so of course he'd tell you. You were his first real friend in a long time, dat's somthin' that you an' him are always gonna have yo. Dat' first impact on Phones, was you."

 

 

 

 

"Beat, Rhyme, I don't know what to say" Shiki said blushing a little

 

 

 

 

"heh heh, sorry that I yelled at you" she said awkwardly

 

 

 

 

"heh don' worry about it yo" Beat said smiling

 

 

 

"heh heh okay…" Shiki said smiling

 

 

 

 

Then at that moment all signs of happiness were removed from her face and she became very serious.

 

 

 

 

"Now… you two need to know why you're here" she said darkly

 

 

 

 

"Neku is now the most powerful Demon in existence, the Demon Lord. We're dead again guys, we're in the afterlife, and Mr. H is an Angel and he helped Neku and I a lot when we first came here." Shiki explained

 

 

 

"I…I don't want to abandon him. All the people in the afterlife were ordered to stay away from him, that it's too dangerous to be near him now… but I don't care. I'd do anything to see Neku smile again, to see the Neku we all know." she said firmly

 

 

 

 

 

"is that where we come in?" Rhyme asked

 

 

 

 

"Yeah, Mr. H said we're gonna have to be really powerful if we want to stand a chance against him. You saw what he could do when he tried to attack you." Shiki said darkly

 

 

 

 

"it felt like he was crushing us with some massive amount of pressure. It was to the point we couldn't move" Rhyme said sadly

 

 

 

 

"that was the presence Neku has now, just being a demon made him that strong." she says in a dark voice

 

 

 

 

"so we jus' gotta get stronger so we can fight Phones and beat that stupid demon witch outta him!" Beat said excitedly

 

 

 

 

"yeah that's pretty much it" Shiki said with a little smile from Beat's enthusiasm

 

 

 

 

"Aiiiiight!" Beat screamed "let's start it up! Let's get this training on yo! So we can get Phones back!"

 

 

 

"yeah!" Rhyme said happily

 

 

 

 

"heh heh, now that you guys are here we can all get stronger together" Shiki said happily

 

 

 

 

"Do they really know what they're getting themselves into?" she thought with horror

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile as the friends discussed the concept of Soul Surge and energy, The Demon Lord then returned to his throne room to a shocked Watchman

 

 

 

 

"Sir are you okay!? What happened!? That took way longer than 30 seconds!" he said with shock

 

 

 

 

Damien then smiled showing his sharp teeth

 

 

 

 

 

"Oh, no need to worry, I merely ran into one of the most powerful Angels of the Higher Plane, Sanae Hanekoma. Considering how he's lived for many years as an Angel, he's quite youthful. Fast reflexes and very light on his feet, retaliating nearly every attack I threw at him." he said nonchalantly

 

 

 

 

 

"in fact" he added "it gave me an idea… Clarissa's war definetly lowered the man power of the Higher Plane. As you are aware, many Angels died in that war leaving them vulnerable."

 

 

 

 

 

"what are you suggesting sir?" the watchman asked

 

 

 

 

"heh heh, to conquer the Higher Plane of course. Since our kind is superior it only makes sense for us to claim that from those nuisances." The Demon Lord said with an evil smile

 

 

 

 

"My idea however is to take a more subtle approach. With The Higher Plane's defenses weakened we don't need to launch a full-scale war. Instead, we will merely send our most powerful demons, with myself included, of course, to slaughter those who survived the war." he said slyly

 

 

 

 

The watchman then nodded his head in approval

 

 

 

 

"a brilliant idea Demon Lord" he declared

 

 

 

 

 

"Now Watchman, make sure to let the Scouters now of my plan, especially since for Mongrels they are very strong and could rise in the ranks." Damion ordered

 

 

 

 

 

"of course sir" the watchaman replied

 

 

 

 

He then dissolved into a black mist and left the throne room.

 

 

 

 

With Damien left alone in the room he then sat on his throne chair (colored pitch black with red cushioning) and analysed the room seeing and black tapestries outlined in red by his throne chair with the image of a menacing Noise on each of them

 

 

 

 

The floor has made of black marble and had gray walls to it decorated with gray arched pillars and shattered stain glass windows with different shades of red. The door that led to the throne room was a burgundy color. There was a table to his left with an apple and wine.

 

 

 

 

As he closed his eyes preparing to rest and regain some strength he felt a sharp pounding in his head, causing him to cringe and squeeze his hair.

 

"Nngh! What's happening!?" he cried

 

Deep within Damien's mind pieces of Neku's soul had escaped corruption and had just now began to form, making Damien feel that pain in his head. as this happened, Neku, was given a physical form, like he was alive again wearing his headphones once more trapped deep within his mind as a result of the overwhelming powers of his demon form.

 

Neku opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness around him.

 

"huh? Where am I?" Neku thought

 

He began to move his hands to try to feel what he was laying on

 

"A bed?" he remarked

 

Neku then manages to get off the bed trying to feel his way around.

 

 

 

He feels a dresser that had a keyboard and a monitor on it.

 

 

 

As he moved around more he eventually felt the walls of the room and eventually found the door.

 

 

 

 

Neku then twists its doorknob

 

 

 

 

"Hm? It's locked" he muttered

 

 

 

 

"but why? Who'd want to keep me here?" He thought

 

 

 

 

"because if you leave this place then I can't protect you" a voice said

 

 

 

 

Just hearing her voice made Neku filled with fear, he then turned around expecting to see someone, but the darkness of the room made it impossible.

 

"Maybe this will help you see me" the voice said

 

 

 

 

A window shining moonlight into the room then appeared

 

 

 

 

"Clarissa" Neku said weakly

 

 

 

 

"why did you lock the door?" he asked

 

 

 

 

"to prevent you from ever being hurt again Neku. I know all about your past, I'm apart of your mind remember?" she says in a kind voice

 

 

 

 

"yeah… I do" Neku said sadly wishing he could leave but knows he can't

 

 

 

 

He then gapsed with fear as he felt something pull him towards her on the bed.

 

She then placed her hands on Neku's back amplifying his fear of her and making him fear leaving the room.

 

"Nngh! What are you doing? It stings" he says weakly

 

 

 

 

"Trying to protect your mind Neku. If you leave this room, then I can't protect you from being hurt by the world…that's why I did all those things to you, to make you stronger. To detach yourself from all the things that could hurt you. That's why although it stings, this energy is able to boost the strength of your soul even more. All I wanted was to help you" She says lying to him

 

 

 

"Ngh…r…really? Then all this time you were…looking out for me?" Neku says weak from her burning him.

 

 

 

"Of course sweety, I want you to be happy" she says sweetly

 

 

 

(manipulating the pieces of Neku's mind that escaped corruption she hopes that she can tighten her grip on him even more)

 

 

 

"you were protecting me…. You… were looking out for me?" Neku repeats feeling weak

 

 

 

"Mhm I'll always be your friend Neku" she says sweetly


	2. A New Goal

Filled with self doubt as Clarissa starts to mess with Neku he begins to wonder if he really should trust her.

 

 

 

 

"How the hell do I really know what she's saying is true?" he thought as she stung him some more

 

 

 

 

"Friends are just idiots that pretend to care about you, making you expose yourself and getting yourself hurt" he says aloud

 

 

 

 

"so… how do I know you won't do the same?" he asked weakly

 

 

 

 

"Because that's what trust is Neku, believing in that person regardless of the uncertainty that friendship produces and look at what I've one for you. Sure it was painful, but in the end that pain was worth it wasn't it? Now you're safe Neku… now no one will ever hurt you." she says kindly

 

 

 

 

"No one… will… hurt me…" Neku repeated in pain.

 

 

 

 

He felt like he was going to collapse, like Clarissa was simultaneously burning him and weakening him.Unknown to him is that she was doing this to make him feel weak so he wouldn't escape her.Meanwhile as this is happening in his head, on the outside Damien then sips his wine and begins to eat his apple. As a demon everything about himself changed, Neku became much more sophisticated as a demon causing him to change the way he talks and even how he eats.

 

Regardless of having the dozens of teeth that a shark does, Damien ate the apple slowly, truly savoring each juicy bite of his apple.He knows being a being of the afterlife, meaning that he too is dead, and doesn't need to eat, still savored the taste of the apple slithering down his throat. He then siped his wine very slowly allowing it's juicy flavor to go down his throat as well.

 

 

 

 

"hmm I suppose the ability to taste is a luxury that we demons have in common with the Spirits. Even if they don't have to eat" Damien thought.

 

 

 

 

"that angel" he thought again "for some reason he seemed a little hesitant when we fought."

 

 

 

 

 

"Although he was extremely powerful… something tells me he could've dodged my attack and prevent being slashed. Was he in shock? Or… is it a possibility that he knew me at some point, making him hesitant to harm someone he considered a friend of some sort?" The Demon Lord wondered

 

 

 

 

"It appears I'll have an advantage then in the invasion, if he let's his emotions get in the way, and prevent him from harming me… one false move, one little mistake… and I can easily kill Sanae. With him out of the way, it'll be much easier to conquer the Higher Plane." he thought smiling

 

 

 

 

As Damien began to think of a strategy for the invasion, Beat Rhyme and Shiki go to the Enlightened realm to begin their training with Mr. H and Joshua.

 

Sadly due to the events unfolding Beat and Rhyme would have no time to rest unlike Neku and Shiki did.

 

Luckly since the two are siblings and their energies already flow into each other, Beat and Rhyme unleashed their Enlightened forms much faster than Neku and Shiki did as well.

 

"Whoa! Beat… you're green and you have wings!" Rhyme cried in shock

 

Just like with Shiki and Neku's Enlightened forms, Beat and Rhyme's forms took on the color of the energy inside them and lost all materialistic things. Beat and Rhyme no longer have their hats and Beat's skateboard.

 

Rhyme was a yellow orange color. With red orange wings, Beat's wings were a blue green color to it.

 

Luckily for him, since he was a Reaper, Beat also got the hang of flying much faster then his friends did.

 

Rhyme on the other hand stuggled with it.

 

As the both learned to adapt to their powers Joshua then explained to them what he is and the abilities he has as Compoerser.

 

"WHAT!?" Rhyme cried in shock "you're some kind of Death God, you're one of the most powerful spirits in the afterlife and Mr. H is an Angel!?"

 

"Bwaaaahahaah! Slow down yo! 'Dis is too much!" he cried

 

"Yeah!" Rhyme added in "so… you mean to say we're dead again, and Neku's gonna try to kill us and the only way to stop him is by hurting him!?"

 

"Yes it's the only way Rhyme." Joshus said smiling while pulling back his hair

 

"Don't tell me you're afraid of facing him? Don't you want Neku back?" Joshua said slyly

 

"hey back off yo!" Beat roared at him

 

"it's a lot to take in… none of us could ever imagine ourselves hurting Phones" Beat said sadly

 

"well you have to" Mr. H said darkly "Now that Neku is a demon, he'll stop at nothing to kill you. Believe it or not, he was holding back when you faced him. Neku barley even unleashed his demon energy and you saw the effects it had on you two."

 

"wait… he wasn't even trying?!" Rhyme cried "he's… he's really that strong?" she adds in weakly

 

"yes… he is." Mr. H said darkly "and there's more to it than that. Neku's become so overwhelmed by demon energy that he's given up his name… he now goes by the name Damien. He's detached himself from the person we all knew. When you face him, he'll merely see you as a form of energy to be obsorbed. But as Enlightens, the form you are now. You're a lot stronger and are able to unleash the energy inside you with more control."

 

"Really?" Beat and Rhyme cried

 

"yeah and there's something else. As an Angel I can feel the presense of other spirits and demons. I was able to pick up on his thoughts… he wants to take advantage of our lowered defences from losing so many Angels and Enlnightens in the war. Guys, he's going to lead an invasion on the Higher Plane and wipe out the surviors of the war. ….If that happens, he'll destroy the Higher Plane."

 

"NO!" Shiki cried "We can't let that happen!"

 

"Is 'dis form me an' Rhyme are in strong enough to stop his plan?" Beat asked concerned

 

"no" Mr. H replied "this is why after you two master this form, you'll take on Shiki's training"

 

"and I can help you guys too, since I've been here longer" Shiki adds in

 

"O…okay" Rhyme said hesitantly

 

"It'll be alright yo, remember that we're doing this to save Neku" Beat said strongly

 

"yeah" Rhyme replied

 

She then felt confident knowing that she'll be able to help them save Neku.

 

"alright, you three ready?" Joshua asks

 

"Three?" Shiki repeated

 

"well yes you have more experience with fighting as an Enlighten Shiki. It'll be good for them to see some advanced techniques." Joshua replied

 

"heh heh, yeah good idea Joshua" Shiki replied firmly

 

She then held their hands and focused her energy on Beat and Rhyme allowing her to acces her Enlightened form.

 

Mr. H then summoned Taboo Noise for them to fight.

 

"Bwaahahaha! Mr. H you were the one who made those things?!" Beat cried

 

"yup" he replied "now get ready."

 

Taboo Kangaroo, wolf, and Bear Noise all charged at Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki. They then flew towards the Noise.

 

"Guys! Focus your energy into your hands!" Shiki instructed

 

"okay!" they both cried

 

Beat and Rhyme held their hands out towards th Noise and launched orbs of their energy at the Noise sending them flying from the impact.

 

Shiki then went to the ground and unleshed a powerful barrage of attacks, slamming her fists into a Noise Kangaroo, who then stood on its tail preparing to kick her. She then did a round house kick to the stomach sending the Noise flying.

 

"Let's go Mr. Mew!" she cried

 

She and Mr. Mew's Pather form then charged at the Noise fighting in unison mimicking each other's attacks.

 

Beat and Rhyme then attempted to do the same.

 

At the moment they did this, Mr. H and Joshua noticed something unique about the effects the Enlighten form had on Beat and Rhyme.

 

(for Neku and Shiki it amplified their attack power and gave them more control over their energy)

 

For Beat and Rhyme it did the same however as Beat went and attacked one of the Bear Noise Joshua and Mr. H then noticed Beat had a drastic increase in his strength

 

Beat punched the Bear in the stomach sending it flying in the air.

 

He then flew into the air and thew the Bear Noise to the ground with such force that it caused glass to go flying as the bear smashed into the ground before being Erased.

 

"Whoa! Heh heh, good job Beat!" Shiki said impressed

 

"heh thanks! Heh heh, I'm likin' dis! I feel reaaaally tough now yo!" Beat replied

 

Now it was Rhymes turn.

 

The Noise that weren't attacking Beat and Shiki then focused on Rhyme.

 

A wolf Noise charged at her causing Rhyme to fly over to the Noise at 128 MPH. she then grew legs for her Enlightened form and unleashed a ridiculously fast combo on the Noise.

 

She moved at such blinding speeds that she was practically teleporting all around the Noise slashing it from all angles with the final blow causing her to slide beneath the Noise as she watched it dissolve into static.

 

Joshua then looked at them curiously

 

"Hmmm it seems that their energy is adapting to the Higher Plane at a very fast rate. That attack that Rhyme unleashed was very impressive. I think I understand what's happening" Joshua said to Mr. H

 

"I do too, it's almost as if their energy is feeding off of their strengths, like how Shiki's energy did with Mr. Mew, or with Neku and his imagination." Mr. H replied

 

The three Enlightens fought the Noise for what felt like hours trying to adapt to each other's fighing style.

 

"Alright you three that's enough" Joshua said with his hands in his pockets pleased with their performance.

 

By now Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki were half Enlighten panting our of breath from fighting so many Noise.

 

"so… how'd we do?" Shiki asked

 

"Very well" Joshua replied "Beat and Rhyme adapted very well to fighting Noise. I was especially impressed by you Rhyme."

 

"Really?" Rhyme asked surprised

 

"well of course" Mr. H added in smiling "You weren't in the Game that long so the only time you really fought a lot of Noise in the Game was when I recreated you as a Noise"

 

Rhyme then stared at him astonished

 

"wait… you… you saved me? You're the one that brought me back into the Game?" she asked in shock

 

"mhm, sealing the mind and soul of someone into a new body is one of the many skills an Angel has. When you were Erased, your mind and soul was set free, so I gave you a new body to reside in, and seald your mind within that new body, then seald the body within a Pin for Beat to use."

 

"Mr. H" Rhyme said weakly "if it wasn't for you then… I would've never seen my brother… or… my new friends Neku and Shiki ever again… you saved me"

 

Mr. H then patts her on the head

 

"heh heh don't mention it sport. I was happy to help, plus you got to fight alongside Beat and Neku." he replied happily

 

"that's why we were so impressed with you" Joshua added "you adapted very well considering you didn't fight Noise for very long."

 

"well thanks" Rhyme said happily "I just want our friend back… so… I guess I just got really determined heh heh."

 

At the moment she said this, all three of them returned to their Fledgling forms.

 

"now go rest up you three. When we train again, I'll teach you the next half of your training…To become Angels." Mr. H said laid back masking his concern

 

"Heh heh sounds good" Rhyme said happily

 

"yeah 'da sooner we start the other training the sooner we can get Phones back!" Beat said strongly

 

Mr. H then opened a portal that would take them back to the HP Shibuya.

 

He then looked at Shiki seriously and asked if she minded speaking with him before she left. She then told him she doesn't mind and walked over to him.

 

"Shiki" he said darkly "you know how much you meant to Neku when he was himself right?"

 

"yeah… how he thought about me in the Game and how he used the thought of being with me at Hachiko again to help him put up with Joshua." she replied

 

"well… when you face him… take advantage of that try to reach out to him any way possible. The technique I'll teach you will help this make it easier for you to do that." he replied darkly

 

"Shiki there's something else I'd like to add" Joshua said

 

"You should know that when a human soul becomes a demon they are a completely different person.

 

No Human Soul has ever been brought back to who they were. Once they become a Demon it's irreversible. It's impossible to save them." Joshua replied darkly

 

"I know… they're broken beyond repair." Shiki replied

 

"so in other words, I'm going up against impossible odds huh?" Shiki said

 

She then smiled

 

"I like those odds, cause it'll make me all the more happy when I prove you wrong, and save Neku. I'll keep calling out to him, keep reaching out to him, and I won't stop trying… until I see him happy again." she said strongly

 

With her powerful words Shiki then walked to the portal with Mr. Mew on her shoulders.

 

"I told you I'd never abandon you Neku…no matter what. Now I'm going to bring you back" she thought

 

"Well would you look at her now?" Mr. H said happily when she walked into the portal

 

"I think bringing Shiki to the Higher Plane did more then we ever thought it could. Just thinking about Neku makes her this strong. Shiki's become so strong she can handle two different energies inside her. On top of that, when Clarissa attacked Neku again before the war, I sensed how intense her energy became and how at one point she was able to mimic Neku's abilities. She really has gotten a lot stronger." Mr. H said laid back

 

"yeah she has" Joshua said agreeing "But the real test of her strength will be when she learns how to become an Angel. Fledglings aren't taught that for a reason Mr. H, and you know why.

 

"If they aren't natural born Angels, a person who originated as that form of energy, then this is impossible for a Fledgling to do. You know as well as I do what could happen to them if they attempt this. They could all face Soul Obstruction." Joshua said while crossing his arms

 

"I know that… I know that I could be killing them… but if it's possible to ascend to the Angel ranking in the Underground, then...it should be possible to do that with their Souls free from their bodies right? they're all so determined to be there for Phones, that I honestly think they'll try anything. They've already been in life-threatening situations thanks to The Reapers' Game. So… I don't think there's any stopping them Boss."

M. H added

Even with all the risks against them, you know as well as I do how strong their friendship with Neku means to them… and how much he meant to them, how they became apart of his world allowing him to see the beauty of the world for the first time. So the least we can do is help them and hope for the best." Mr. H said smiling

 

"Heh heh I guess that's all we really can do Mr. H hope for the best" Joshua

 

replied

 

As the three friends rested in the house Neku and Shiki made together, they couldn't help but wonder where he was, what he was doing and if Neku has really forgotten about them.

 

They were in Shiki's room with Rhyme laying on her bed, and Beat sitting on the edge of it. Shiki was then sitting on a chair in the room

 

"Do you really think we can save him?" Rhyme asked sadly

 

"I don't know" Shiki replied

 

"and...I don't know if I could handle being around Joshua if he's gonna help train us...I know Neku trusts him and sees him as a friend but, I don't know if I can" she added hanging her head

 

"I know what you mean" Rhyme added "it's just hard even thinking about it. Joshua did so many messed up things. It's cause of him that I was in the UG with Beat but...I know he did some good things too like giving Neku advice"

 

"yeah but he's da li'l punk that would make Phones feel all weirded out 'n stuff and he's da one that made us watch as Phones had to shoot him yo. I don' know if I could ever feel okay around dat guy man" Beat said sadly

 

the friends then hanged their head feeling extremely uncomfortable at the thought of having to be around Joshua and then moved on talking about how they felt scared and saddened at the thought of fighting Neku.

 

"I can't imagine myself ever hurting him. I don't want to fight Neku" Shiki said with her eyes watering a little

 

"Yeah 'dis is gonna be really tough fightin' Phones…I…could never hurt him yo. Neku man… he's my friend…" he said sadly

 

Beat then felt his eyes water at the thought of hearing Neku scream in pain as they hurt his Demon Lord form.

 

"Neku… I jus' want him back." Beat said weakly

 

"I…I want him back too" Shiki said sadly

 

"We need a plan… we need to think about how we're going to take him down" Shiki said darkly

 

"Huh?" they Beat and Rhyme replied in shock

 

"I've faced Clarissa before. …we both have, back when Neku was still okay. She's untouchable… the only time I was able to hurt her… was because she tricked me and allowed me to hurt her… and nearly killed me in doing so" She admits sadly

 

"I remember hearing how sad he sounded, begging me to stay with him and not fade away." she said sadly

 

"Fade away?" Rhyme remarked

 

"it's when a spirit's energy leaks out of them causing that spirit to then fade into the energy removing any trace of that person ever existing. It's like never being born." Shiki replied

 

"didn't that almost happen to you an' Phones?" Beat asked sadly

 

"yeah… the last time Neku was himself. He used all his strength to save me… but nearly died by doing so" Shiki replied weakly

 

A tear then streamed down her face

 

She then wiped it away and took a deep breath.

 

"Beat, Rhyme, we need a plan if we're going to stand a chance against him." she said darkly

 

"I got an idea" Beat said "I don' like the thought of 'dis but… What I think we gotta do is pound 'dat witch outta Phones. Make him weak from us beatin' him up you know? 'den maybe as an Angel you could make Phones feel better an' stuff"

 

"yeah but… I don't know how to control my Angel energy yet… and because of that… Neku became a full demon… it's all… because of me!" Shiki cried

 

She then wrapped herself in a ball and began to cry

 

"Shiki 'dis ain't your fault" Beat said sadly

 

"He's right Shiki you did all you could" Rhyme replied sweetly

 

"But if it was enough, if I was able to have healed him at that moment then, this wouldn't have happened I--

 

She then felt someone clasp their hand on her right shoulder.

 

"Shiki" Rhyme said "Greiving over what happened won't save Neku, we need to get stronger so we can help him. Please don't give up."

 

She then lifted her head to see Rhyme and Beat smiling at her

 

This then caused her to do the same

 

"Heh heh, thanks guys" Shiki said smiling

 

"Heh don' worry about it yo" Beat said happily

 

While the three friends rested Damien was setting up his own plans

 

"Hmm what to do first? I could easily send the Scouters to the front lines and use them as decoys…ah yes, that sounds good. Then I'll send the other demons while they're distracted to go and kill more Angels. After that… then Sanae will be mine to kill… it'll be interesting seeing him react to me.. Especially since he's already shown that we must've known each other at some point." He thought

 

"with him out of the way then all I'd have to do is unleash my power and destroy everything insight wiping out everyone. If I unleash my power to a certain magnitude I should be able to even kill some Composers." he thought smiling

 

"I'll have to take advantage of how they turn into their human forms when they need to conserve energy. Who knows? If I'm lucky I may even be able to kill him…the newest composer… what was his name?" he wondered

 

Damien then closed his eyes and began to focus his energy on The Higher Plane.

 

"Yoshiya Kiryu… Joshua" Damien thought pleased

 

He then was able to see a vision revealing Joshua's human form.

 

"Hmph perfect… now I know exactly who to look for in the Invasion" he thought

 

Damien then smiled revealing his shark teeth pleased with the information he's gathered.


	3. Angel Training

The three friends then rested in the house wondering what their angel training would be like, unknown to them how deadly the training truly is.

 

 

Beat and Rhyme were finally able to obtain some much needed rest so they could analyze all the things that has happened to them.

 

 

As this is happening in the Higher Plane, Neku is suffering evenmore as Clarissa hurts him.

 

 

"Nngh! …Please… stop… it stings" he says weakly

 

 

"oh, alright" she replies kindly

 

 

Clarissa then takes her hands off of Neku's back making the stinging of her energy finally stop.

 

 

She then gets off the bed and stands in front of him to see Neku's face filled with pain and fatigue to the extent his eyes were half way open.

 

 

"You look so tired Neku" she says pretending to feel concerned

 

 

He then looked at her, barley even conscious and felt himself fall backwards towards the bed.

 

 

Clarissa then immediately teleports to him and catches Neku and gently places him on the bed.

 

 

"If you ever need someone to talk to, call out to me" she says sweetly

 

 

She then dissolves her body in a puff of black smoke and vanishes into thin air, where she can keep an invisible eye on Neku.

 

 

He then laid on he bed and drifted into unconsciousness.

 

 

At this moment Damien then saw his Watchman return.

 

 

"Sir, I have informed all the Scouters of your plan" he announces

 

 

"Exellent work" Damien says slyly

 

 

"I have information to share with you as well" He said grinning

 

 

"really? What is it sir?" the Watchman replied

 

 

"Upon returning from my fight with Sanae, I relaxed and then managed to focus my energy on The Higher Plane and discovered the identity of their newest Composer. I even found out his name and what he looks like." Damien replied

 

 

Damien then sipped his wine once more and licked his mouth pleased with the flavor.

 

 

"Yoshiya Kiryu… Joshua" he announces "that is their newest Composer. He has grayish blonde hair, pale skin, purple eyes, skinny jeans and a sort of pariwinkle colored shirt, with white sneakers."

 

 

"so that's his human form?" the watchman asked

 

 

"yes… so do keep an eye out for him during the invasion. As you know, Composers and Angels fight alongside each other to increase their over all power and strength. Also, Angels choose the person they wish to protect, this applies to a Composer as well, especially when they match in personality or interests." The Demon Lord answered

 

 

"From what I can tell, Joshua is a loose cannon that regardless of his laid back demeanor, has a rather sinister and hostile nature to him. Whereas Sanae Hanakoma is also laid back, but not in the least bit murderous or occasionally homicidal like the Composer, thus he keeps him in check, and gives Joshua advice as a result of their somewhat clashing personalities." Damien added intrigued

 

 

"I can sense that they are very close as well, they've fought alongside each other for many years, and how the Composer is Sanae's closest friend, making him determined to protect Joshua from danger." he said with a sly grin, happy at the thought of killing Mr. H and Joshua

 

 

"Ah I see how that information will be useful in the invasion sir." the watchman replied

 

 

"Do you wish for me to tell the others this information?" he asked

 

 

"yes, but do inform them that the Composer of Shibuya and Sanae are mine… no one may attack them but myself." he replied

 

 

"as you wish sir" the watchman then dissolved into black smoke and left the room

 

 

Damien then left his throne room and began to wander around his section of the Cathedral familiarizing himself with the building better while his servants told him about past Demon Lords and Mistresses

 

 

 

meanwhile at the Higher Plane Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme were then visited by Mr. H who told them it was time to begin their training.

 

 

They were then teleported to the Enlightened realm yet again.

 

 

"Okay you three, before we start this training there's something you need to know" Mr. H says grimily

 

 

"Fledglings are taught how to become Enlightens to help them gain more control over their energy and become more powerful, and with Neku's and Shiki's case, are also taught how to tap into their minds to heal themselves. Some Fledglings can even be taught how to generate their own energy to heal themselves." he told them

 

 

"like me?" Shiki asked

 

 

"Exactly like you" Mr. H replied "However, there's one thing that Fledglings aren't allowed to be taught due to how risky it is. It's to the extent that the Higher Ups made a rule against doing so. Human Souls can not under any circumstances be taught how to become Angels or use Angel Energy… Neku, being a Higher Mind, and therefore, guaranteed to be a target by demons, was the exception to this rule."

 

 

"huh? But why not Mr. H?" Rhyme asked curiously

 

 

"Yeah an' what's a Higher Mind?" Beat added in

 

 

"well to answer your questions" Mr. H replied "that rule is there for a reason you see. Unlike a Soul surge that only requires you to merge your energy with another spirit to activate your Enlighten form, an Angel transformation is on a much larger scale."

 

 

"Everything around you in the Higher Plane is Energy or Soul, the abstract matter that exists within all life forms. In order to become an Angel you need to tap into that energy…this puts so much strain on a New Born Soul… that they die instantly. I know this because at one point we did teach this technique and a Higher Mind, what Neku is…. is a spirit with extremely strong levels of imagination.

 

 

"that's why from day one of Neku coming here, all the Demons targeted him… Do you see why I'd rather you three forgot about him, as much as it hurts to think that way…and just leave Neku the way he is now? Do you really understand how dangerous this is? Let's say you survive this training… then how would you face Neku? Even facing him in an Angel form would mean certain death if you don't know how to control it." Mr. H said sternly

 

 

The three of them just starred at Mr. H in shock and were extremely pale

 

 

 

Each one of his words was like a slap in the face, exposing the harsh reality of what they were trying to do.

 

 

"so… just attempting this…could kill us?" Shiki asked in shock

 

 

"Unfortunately yes…The reason why this is so much harder is because, when ascending to the rank of Angel in the UG, it's at a lower amount of power. In other words, it takes a lot less to become an Angel there, other then having an extremely powerful imagination of course. That's how I became one. In the UG, the transformation is permanent, making your soul evolve into an Angel." Mr H explained

 

 

"But here in the Higher Plane, the amount of imagination and energy you'd need is so vast, that a mere human soul, a ghost, can't handle it. That's why for the ones that did become angels, it was just a tranformation, not permanent, and they all faded too. It's just too much for a spirit in the Higher Plane to absorb vs doing this in the UG. Are you sure you three still want to do this? I could send you back right now… and we could...forget everything, despite how...I don't want to. I really don't, but you all have no idea how dangerous this really is." Mr. H says sadly

 

 

"an' …just… just give up on Neku? Let him stay trapped as 'dat monster 'dat tried to kill me an' Rhyme?…hell no" Beat said darkly "Ain't no way I'd give up on Phones!He never gave up on me yo! Back when I felt like an idiot for lettin' Rhyme die, he was there, sayin' dat it's cause I'm an idiot, that I'll try anything yo! I don't go worryin' about thinkin, 'bout stuff, and it's cause of that, that I saved Phones when he was gonna die as the last Player! He was there for me, so I gotta help him, I gotta save Neku!"

 

 

"Me either!" Rhyme added in "He didn't even know me that well in the Reapers' Game and he still fought alongside my brother… he fought just as hard to save me…cause he said… that he sees me as his friend."

 

 

"Neku's always been there for each of us one way or the other, both in the UG and the RG. We helped him be happy, I know it! He even said that to us on the first week we were in the RG since the Reapers' Game:

 

 

_"I'm really glad I met you guys… you made me pick up on things I probably would've just gone on ignoring"_

 

 

"he told us that…to hear him say that to us, it meant so much you know…and I'll never forget what he did when we all arrived at Hachiko. After we all got there and greeted each other, he took off his headphones… he looked so happy, almost like a weight was lifted from his shoulders when he did that. He… he really showed us how much we mean to him… like we really became apart of his world… so… how can I just let him stay hurt Mr. H?!" Shiki said strongly

 

 

 

"heh heh the loyalty these kids have for him and each other… it's so rare in teenagers and people in general really…truly Neku has found some amazing people. The Reapers' Game did more for him than I could ever hope for." Mr. H thought happily

 

 

Mr. H then sighed and scratched his head

 

 

"Heh heh, I should've known that would be your answer." Mr. H said smiling

 

 

"alright, since you guys all have your hearts set on helping your friend, I guess there's no point in trying to talk you out of this anymore huh?" he replied laid back

 

 

He then stepped back and went full blast, becoming his true form, a misty white angel with his energy extending out of his shoulder blades becoming his wings.

 

 

Beat and Rhyme were still getting accustomed to all of the things that happened so they still starred at Mr. H in awe when he revealed this form.

 

 

Mr. H noticed them starring at them

 

 

"Hey snap out of it you two… this is what you guys are gonna look like if this goes well." he remarked

 

 

"oh heh heh, sorry yo." Beat says

 

 

"No apologies needed" Mr. H replied laid back

 

 

He then snapped his fingers going back to his human form

 

 

"now I'm going to teach you how to absorb the energy of The Higher Plane" Mr. H added

 

 

The three friends all then looked at each other then back at Mr. H and took a deep breath…

 

 

"Okay…. Mr. H we're ready" Shiki announced

 

 

"Alright now for you three to be strong you should go into your Enlighen forms then we'll really get started." he replied

 

 

The three friends then go into their Enlighten forms

 

 

"Now what you need to do is focus not on your energy but the energy around you. Close your eyes and concentrate." Mr. H instructed

 

 

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme then grew legs, sat on the glass floor and did as he instructed.

 

 

They tried to imagine what the energy of the Higher Plane would like, filled with the colors of all the different forms of energy inhabbiting it.

 

 

Eventually those thoughts then led to the universe. They saw outter space as part of their vision imaginaing galaxies and stars, since they too, are other forms of energy.

 

 

As they did this in their Enlighten forms, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme then had orbs of their energy leaking out of them.

 

 

Feeling concerned Mr. H then summoned his white healing energy to put their energy back inside them if it got to that point.

 

 

As the three friends focused more and more, their energies leaked out resembling fire.

 

 

At this moment in the Composer District, The Higher Ups tell Joshua that if they died he and Mr. H would be to blame. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that they know of Damien's plan and how they're all in danger of fading away, Mr. H and Joshua would face a capital offense. A term used amongst Reapers and Composers meaning the ultimate act of betrayal and would face a hefty cost by being sent to an alternate plane of existence or Execution.

 

 

"I'm aware of what's at stake here" Joshua responded slyly

 

 

"But Neku is a Higher Mind, who is now on top of that, one of the most powerful demons in existence, so he could easily kill us" Joshua reminded the Maetros

 

 

"Yes that's true" one of them responded "But you two have already broken so many rules, if it wasn't for how skilled in battle you two are, and how reliable you've been in the past, you and Mr. H would be in more trouble." one of them replied

 

 

Joshua then pulled back his hair smiling and let out his cold laugh

 

 

"well then, it's good to know how valuable we are to you…but…either Shiki, Beat and Rhyme master their Angel forms…or all the Human Souls that cross into the after life will go to the demon realm. If that happens the Demon realm would over flood and the entire after life would fall apart." Joshua replied

 

 

"As young as you are, you seem to have a good understanding of the way the Higher Plane works…so I guess all we can do, is hope that those Human Souls can actually pull this off." A Maestro said

 

 

In the Enlightened Realm Beat, Shiki and Rhyme began to scream in pain as their bodies weakened.

 

 

The three friends had returned to their fledgling form and had their bodies becoming their energy, like when Neku nearly faded away.

 

 

They all screamed in agony as they felt their bodies burn.

 

 

 

"MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Rhyme screamed

 

 

They all then began to tremble in pain, overwhelmed by it to the point of crying.

 

 

Seeing how close they are to fading, Mr. H then clones himself and heals all three of them.

 

 

Beat, Shiki and Rhyme felt heavy and weak from nearly fading. Mr. H then brought them back to their house to rest.

 

 

Mr. H then went to the Composer district.

 

 

"How are we going to make this work?" Mr. H asked Joshua

 

 

He then looked at Mr. H crossing his arms and sighed.

 

 

"Honestly… I have no idea…" Joshua said grimly.

 

 

The three friends then awoke in the house in Shiki's room with all three of them laying on the bed. (Beat laid towards the edge of it with Rhyme be his side, while Shiki laid with her head on her pillows) saddened by how they couldn't master the transformation and how on top of that, just attempting it nearly killed them.

 

 

Beat then was overwhelmed with sadness and felt his eyes water

 

 

"DAMN IT!" he roared "HOW 'DA HELL ARE WE SUPPOSE TO HELP PHONES IF WE CAN'T EVEN HANDLE DOIN' THIS!?"

 

 

"Beat calm down!" Rhyme cried "w-we'll figure something out."

 

 

"FIGURE SOMTHIN' OUT!? HOW RHYME!? WE NEARLY DIED YO! WE ALMOST DIED JUS' TRYIN' TO DO THAT ANGEL TRAININ'! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSE TO SAVE PHONES WHEN WE CAN'T EVEN DO 'DIS!?" he cried

 

 

At this moment the two siblings notice Shiki laying on her bed with tears streaming down her face as she stared at the ceiling of her bedroom.

 

 

"we can't… we can't do it" Shiki thought "The Angel Energy inside me was suppose to make this easier… so what did I do wrong? Neku…. What if I can't save you? What if just trying to gets us killed?" she thought with grief

 

 

 

"Neku…" she said weakly allowing her tears to stream down her face.

 

 

 

As the three friends grieve over their failure and the possibility of Neku being doomed to stay a Demon, Damien began to plan out the next course of action….

 

 

 

"Hmmm for things to go as smoothly as possible…I should take a more strategic approach. I could easily kill them all right now. Heh if I really wanted to, I could just go there myself, make clones of myself and unleash them all on The Higher Plane… but it's more fun taking advantage of what's at my disposal." he thought

 

 

"In fact, I believe this calls for a more theatrical approach. A build up to the climax. I should go and take this slowly. Kill off a few Fledglings, and monitor my prey." Damien smiled content with his plan.

 

 

He then telepathically told his Watchman that he was going to break down his plan into steps and start the first half: Stalking his prey.

 

 

 

At this moment Neku slowly regains consciousness and opened his eyes.

 

 

"at least.. The pain's gone" he thought

 

 

Being trapped in a room, and afraid to leave it, being overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness Neku had never felt before… he wasn't sure what to do. But he figured being alone would be better then being with Clarissa.

 

 

So he simply played soft music on his MP3 and tried to go to sleep but it didn't work.

 

 

He couldn't help but wonder who Clarissa was, regardless of how she claimed to be his friend. His mind was so broken from her energy from when she weakened Neku earlier, that he didn't know what to think, or who to believe anymore.

 

 

"this room" he muttered weakly "it's suppose to keep me safe from being hurt by the world right? But… there's nothing I can do here… this feels more like a prison than my room. But still… I… I can't trust people…I'm not gonna open up to anyone… ever. I can't trust this Clarissa girl either right?… Or… maybe … maybe I can… she's done so much to keep me safe, It was really painful… but in the end, it helped me escape from people… that would use me. In a way, she's like a Guardian I guess, someone who would want to protect me."

 

 

"I may not know her that well" he thought

 

 

"But I know …she's not my enemy"

 

 

Neku's mind began to be overwhelmed by her energy to the point he began to trust her. He felt like she was Mr. H, someone he didn't know… but someone who'd protect him and keep him safe.


	4. Angel Training (Part 2)

The room was filled with silence as Beat, Shiki and Rhyme grieved over Neku. They all felt powerless and helpless. That they may not be able to save him… especially Shiki.

 

 

"why?" she thought "Why is it that when I tried to use my Angel Engergy to heal him that it didn't work? Mr. H has neutralized Neku's third Demon form right in front of me, and when I tried to neutralize the energy… It just caused me to scream in pain from feeling Neku's Demon energy… what did I do wrong?"

 

 

As Shiki began to ponder this, she remembered the times Neku had used his Angel Energy to heal her.

 

 

She remembered how she could barley hear Neku when he healed her that time, when Clarissa attacked Shiki nearly making her face Soul Obstruction. But what she does remember, is how he was begging her to stay alive, to try to listen to his voice.

 

How he wasn't focusing on how he needed to use the energy, or thinking about how it needs to work. He thought about Shiki, and how he desperately wanted her to be okay.

 

 

She remembered how he did the same thing yet again in the war.

 

 

_"I'm going to make you better"_

 

 

She remembered him saying

 

 

At that moment her face lit with excitement

 

 

"Guys! I figured out how Angel energy works!" she exclaimed

 

 

"Bwaaaahaaaagh!" Beat cried "What'dya mean by 'dat yo?"

 

 

"When the war ended and Neku and I returned to the HP Shibuya, and Neku was overwhelmed by Demon energy again, I was focusing on getting the energy to work. Not on Neku, or how I wanted him to feel better." Shiki replied

 

 

"That's it you guys!" she exclaimed happily "Angel energy is powered by thought, by desires, by what you want to happen! That's where we messed up, we were only focusing on the Angel energy!"

 

 

Rhyme then began to smile

 

 

"so that's it then!" Rhyme exclaimed happily "We just need to absorb the energy of the Higher Plane and then focus on Neku!"

 

 

"Yeah! An' then we can become Angels and take 'dat little witch outta Phones yo!" Beat exclaimed happily

 

 

"AIIIIIIGHT! Let's start it up!" he cried

 

 

Beat then got up from the bed and began to run out of the house

 

 

"heh heh, Beat we need to contact Mr. H first. We don't know how to cross into other sections of the Higher Plane… except for Shiki remember?" Rhyme remarked

 

 

This then made Beat's run go to a screeching halt.

 

 

"oh… heh heh, guess I forgot yo." Beat said awkwardly scratching his neck

 

 

"so um, Shiki you said how you entered the war was through a portal you an' Phones opened right?" Beat asked

 

 

"yeah so, in other words, two people here would have to be in their Enlighten form for this to work" Shiki replied

 

 

"well since you have more experience then us… shouldn't you be the one to go in their Enlighten Form?" Rhyme asked

 

 

"Oh… well I guess that makes sense" Shiki replied

 

 

"so then you wanna start the Soul Surge?" she asked

 

 

"HELL NO! IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Beat roared "Rhyme's still getting' use to alla this stuff yo!"

 

 

"heh heh, okay then hold my hand Beat." Shiki replied

 

 

"Bwaaaaahaaagh! Shiki, I like ya…but as a friend yo! Wa'chu doin' askin' me to hold your hand?" Beat cried

 

 

Shiki then began to blush and wave her arms

 

 

"HUH!? What?…. no… I didn't mean like that Beat! You need to hold someone's hand as part of activating the Soul Surge remember?" she screamed embarrassed

 

 

This awkward moment then caused Rhyme to giggle

 

 

"oh… sorry yo. Guess I forgot about 'dat." Beat said awkwardly

 

 

Shiki then giggled

 

 

"it's okay… now come on, the sooner we get started the closer we'll be to saving Neku." she exclaimed

 

 

"heh, let's do this yo!" Beat roared

 

 

They then held hands and focused their energy into each other, unleashing their Enlighten forms.

 

 

"so how do you make a portal yo?" Beat asked Shiki

 

 

"well when I did that with Neku, we were focusing on how we needed to go to the Enlightened realm. We just sort of thought about it." Shiki replied

 

"oh well okay… that's simple yo" Beat replied

 

 

They then focused on how they needed to go and see Mr. H and how they needed to go back to the Enlightened district to train.

 

 

As they did this a silver colored portal appeared

 

 

"there it is!" Rhyme exclaimed

 

 

"Aiiightt! Let's go!" Beat roared

 

 

He then grabbed his sister and flew into the portal with Shiki flying behind him.

 

 

As they exited the portal they saw the Enlightened realm once more.

 

 

They saw a ball of white light shining in the distance and flew towards them.

 

 

It then transformed into Mr. H

 

Being laid back as usual Mr. H smiled at them and said that he was glad that they healed so quickly

 

 

Shiki then smiled and told Mr. H the good news

 

 

"Mr. H, I finally know what went wrong when I tried to heal Neku, you know… when he was overwhelmed by the energy after the war?" she said

 

 

"yeah.. So what'd you find out Shiki?" he asked

 

 

"Well remember when you taught me and Neku imagination driven combat?" she asked

 

 

"yeah sure do" Mr. H replied

 

 

"well… I figured out that Angel Energy is the same right Mr. H? That Angel healing energy is powered by desire, what you want to happen?" Shiki said happily

 

 

"ha, ha, you've hit the nail on the head Shiki, that's it exactly." Mr. H replied

 

 

"So can we try the trainin' again yo?" Beat asked excitedly

 

 

"yeah" Rhyme added "now that we have a better understanding of what to do, we can make this work!" Rhyme said happily

 

 

Although Mr. H was happy to see them so confident, still… he was concerned they might fade away.

 

 

"heh heh, well you certainly seem confident enough… are you guys sure?" Mr. H asked

 

 

At that moment another ball of light appeared before them and transformed into a person.

 

 

"hey Boss" Mr. H exclaimed

 

 

"Hey Mr. H… I desided to monitor this training session this time around" Joshua explained "and there's something we need to discuss after the training is over"

 

 

"alright" Mr. H replied

 

 

"Oh, you wanna monitor our training?" Shiki said a little uneasy

 

 

sensing how uneasy everyone felt aside from Mr. H, made Joshua chuckle and pull back his hair

 

 

"of course. after all, you guys have no idea what you're really doing and desperately need guidance. Especially with how bleak this outcome may be. Hee hee, don't tell me you all are a little uncomfortable with me? I thought Neku of all people taught you to trust each other. Is that not the case?" Joshua said slyly

 

 

"Ugh, it's not that, it's just...you did a lot of bad things to us Joshua" Rhyme said weakly

 

 

"yeah Prissy boy, how'd you expect us to feel yo?!" Beat said crossing his arms

 

 

"I know you talked about this with us when  we were alive, but it still hurts! You're the one that did everything. From taking Rhyme's memory, to Beat wanting his sister to care about him, to me losing my body. How'd you expect us to just be okay with you?!" Shiki roared hurt

 

 

Joshua then shrugged and then smiled and placed his hands in his back pockets and smiled

 

"I know it seems harsh, but I had completely valid reasons. Whether you see it or not. Besides, doesn't your little friend Neku trust me? In the end, I'm just trying to watch and see what will happen" Joshua added

 

 

This made all the others look down feeling hurt, causing Mr. H to intervene

 

 

"It's alright you guys. He has a point, if Neku trusts Joshua, you can too. He just wants to watch and see how this turns out" the angel said kindly

 

the friends then sighed starting to feel better causing Mr. H to continue

 

"Okay you two, now one of you hold Rhyme's hand for her to Soul Surge" Mr. H instructed

 

"I'll do it, since me and Rhyme's energy's already apart of each other yo." Beat exclaimed

 

 

He holds Rhyme's hand and she activates a soul surge.

 

 

She then turns back into her yellow orange Enlighten form.

 

 

"Alright, you guys ready?" Mr. H asked

 

 

"HELL'S YEAH! THIS'LL BE TIGHT!" Beat said confidently

 

 

"Alright you three now do what you did last time, but the moment you feel your energy leak out… remember what this is for… who this is for." Mr. H said.

 

 

"Neku… just hang in there." Shiki thought

 

 

The three friends then sat down on the glass floor and began to meditate trying to absorb the energy of the Higher Plane.

 

 

Meanwhile as this happened in the Higher Plane, within Damien's mind, Neku began to feel unsure of what to do…

 

 

"Should I call out to her?" Neku thought "She seems to know a lot about me… but recently… it feels like I'm forgetting things… like… it's almost as if at one point… I knew what was going on… and I knew who I was… but now… I don't know…"

 

 

"Clarissa… I need to ask you something" he says aloud

 

 

(by now the fatigue Neku felt was starting to wear off)

 

 

She then appeared to Neku as black mist before turning into her human form and sat next to him on the bed

 

 

"what is it?" she says sweetly

 

 

"I… I need to know what's happening… this place, it's my mind right?" Neku asked

 

 

"yes that's right" she responded

 

 

"then… what's happened to my body? What's going on Clarissa?" he says weakly

 

 

"well… remember how I made you stronger? How although I caused you pain, that pain made you stronger to the point you were able to leave behind all the people who could hurt you?" Clarissa asked

 

 

"yeah…" he replied

 

 

"well that strength you had obtained over time had transformed you" she awnsered

 

 

"you mean the Demon energy? It's…It's making me stronger? …but how much stronger can I get? I thought I was as strong as you now… that my body is a Demon Lord." Neku replied

 

 

"well yes, but now your body is going to rid the afterlife of hate… he's going to clense it of people who wish to hurt one another." she replied

 

 

"r…really?" Neku asked

 

 

"of course Neku" she says sweetly

 

 

Clarissa then placed her hand on Neku's back attempting to weaken him even more

 

 

"Nngh!" he grunted

 

 

"it…it hurts" he thought "but… this pain… it'll help me get stronger… so… no one will ever hurt me…but… it burns… it's burning me…"

 

 

"please let me help you Neku… I'm so sorry that his hurts… but pain builds endurance… so you'll become even stronger" she replied sweetly

 

 

"Y…yeah" Neku replied weakly

 

 

He then began squinting from the pain as it worsened, and his hands balled up into fists squeezing the bed sheets as he tried his best to endure the pain

 

 

"this… this will help… me… get stronger" Neku thought

 

 

Seeing a tear go down Neku's face from the intense pain Clarissa then stopped.

 

 

"that's enough for now Neku…I'll empower you again whenever you want me too." Clarissa said kindly

 

 

"wait… Clarissa there's… something else… I… want to know…" he says panting out of breath

 

 

"what's that?" Clarissa asked

 

 

"well you said that you were an angel at one point right? So… have you always been an Angel or… were you a Fledgling like I was and then became one?" Neku asked

 

 

"good he's starting to trust me" she thought pleased

 

 

"your second guess was right Neku. I was a human soul, also known as a ghost or spirit. You see, not too long ago, the Higher Plane would allow Angels to teach Fledglings how to become Angels, so that way they could be used for the Higher Plane's army if necessary. I was one of the first few Fledglings to accomplish this." she answered

 

 

"really?" Neku exclaimed in shock

 

 

"mhm. Over time however, it was deemed too risky due to how a massive amount of Fledgelings would fade away from attempting to become an Angel. Only ones with truly powerful imagination could acchieve it, or a Higher Mind, as these people are sometimes called." The Demon Mistress explained

 

 

"Even then, the risk of fading is still there. It's a 50-50 chance. Anyway, after I became an Angel, I also got to see some of the previous Composers of Shibuya. Their job is to have complete control over the city. Some Composers handeled the job better than others." she replied

 

 

She specifically kept the Reapers' Game out of the conversation, she didn't want him to regain any of the memories she broke apart.

 

 

 

"so… some kind of ghost thing has power over the city I live in?" Neku asked in disbelief

 

 

"in a way yes, the Composers do have a set of rules to follow however." she replied

 

 

Neku analyzing all of this just starred at her in shock

 

 

"well I'll go now Neku" she said sweetly

 

 

She then patted his head and dissolved into black smoke and eventually evaporated into the air.

 

 

"so…then, what the hell IS a Composer in terms of the Aferlife?! It's not an Angel, not a Demon, I don't get it! So a…A GHOST CONTROLS SHIBUYA!?" Neku screamed in his head

 

 

He then squeezed his hair in frustration

 

 

"Grrrrr DAMMIT! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!? COULD THIS THING REALLY DO WHATEVER IT WANTED TO THE CITY!? He thought

 

 

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Neku yelled

 

 

Everything was going exactly as Clarissa planned. Now with this information confusing Neku, he felt even more unsure of himself.

 

 

At this moment in the Higher Plane Beat, Shiki and Rhyme began to harness the energy of the Higher Plane. They concentrated on the universe itself, and they instantly felt weightless causing their Enlighten forms to begin to float in the air. They began to become unstable from harnessing such a massive amount of energy.

 

 

They felt like they were burning, but they were determined to master the technique. It started off as a mild burn and gradually got more intense.

 

 

Eventually, all three of them began to leak out energy

 

 

Mr. H then instantly became concerned for their safetly and generated his healing energy and prepared to approach them… but then remembered their determination

 

 

"come you guys… show me you can do this… show me that you want to save Neku." Mr. H thought

 

 

"you know what risks you're taking by letting it leak out" Joshua said to him

 

 

"I know Joshua… but they seem to be handling it a lot better, not a grunt or scream of pain is being unleashed from these kids… I think they're really absorbing the energy boss." Mr. H said quietly

 

 

"Can't…stop yet" Shiki thought "Neku… we're gonna bringk you back."

 

 

"Phones" Beat thought "I don't know where you are, or how we're gonna stop you yo, but I ain't stoppin' here!"

 

 

"Neku… Just wait for us… Please… hang in there! We're gonna save you" Rhyme thought

 

 

They all focused on him and how they wanted to see him despite how much they were in pain. Bright orange hair, blue gray eyes, and his favorite J of M t-shirt, shorts and shoes and his pale skin.

 

 

To see him smile again, to hear him laugh again… and of course complain how the things he likes (other than CAT) go unnoticed for not being trendy, and that people should like what they like regardless of trends.

 

 

To see him love graffiti again, and rant on how regardless of how it's considered an art form, being categorized as street art, or underground art, people who don't see it's beauty consider it vandalism and they remembered how Neku knew a lot about music and would tell them about it

 

 

Focusing so much on him, how they all want Neku back, it began to unleash Shiki's Angel Energy.

 

 

It began to engulf her body. She felt herself lifted into the air standing. The pink energy around her Enlighten wings began to dance wildly like fire. Her Enlighten wings began to crack and shatter into pieces breaking off of her and the pink energy wings folded around her.

 

 

They then dissolved as she and the others absorbed the energy of the Higher Plane.

 

 

Their Angel Energy began to lessen as the Higher Plane's energy filled them more and more, until the colors of their souls turned white outlined in dark gray and they opened their eyes to see they have become Composers. They then opened their eyes and looked at each other in shock

 

 

"good work" Joshua said smugly with his hands in his back pockets "Right now, you're one step away from becoming Angels. Right now, you are at the Composer ranking"

 

 

"What?!" They all shouted

 

 

"Right now, you need to push yourself further and become Angels, since they're stronger than us Death Gods" Joshua added

 

 

"How come then we can's use this form as back up?" Shiki asked

 

 

"well for one, you need to attack with the intention to kill as a God of death, something you all would struggle with tremendously. Even Neku was able to attack with the intent to kill the Reapers, despite not wanting to. I know you all were able to as well, but that was the Reapers, not your friend you were fighting. Since Angel energy feeds more off of determination and desire, you all would be not only, be closer to a demon in power, but more comfortable with that power as well." their wise Composer friend explained

 

 

"Oh, well...when you put it that way, it does make sense" Rhyme added

 

 

"Yeah and like you said, we'll be closer to Neku's power as an Angel. So I guess it is for the better" Shiki said with a little smile

 

 

Beat then nodded in agreement

 

 

"I always wanted to be the Composer...but...I ain't got it in me to attack Neku...like I wanna kill him yo. That ain't me. Even back when it was my mission to do that, back when I was a Reaper, I still couldn't kill him." he said sternly

 

 

Mr. H then smiled seeing how right Joshua was

 

 

"and that very reason is why you're all better off going to the next level. Not everyone has it in them to become a God of Death. it's best to just focus on being Angels. Demons have rankings similarly to Reapers in terms of power. So even if they categorized a weak, low-level demon to be like a Support Reaper, the Demon equivalent by default, is vastly stronger. That's why you're better off." Mr. H added

 

 

 

They then agreed and closed their eyes and their Composer form changed to an Angel they had white wings covered in feathers and her body lost the more wild look of a Composer's energy and, while becoming white outlined with a bluish glow.

 

 

At long last, they had all become Angels.

 

 

 

Mr. H and Joshua starred in shock considering it's been years since they've ever seen a Fledgling that could handle this power.

 

 

 

"But...even when thinking about what they want, that even then usually still kills them. A newly born human spirit is nicknamed a Fledgling for a reason. They're new and inexperienced, they're not supposed to be able to do this." The wise Composer thought intrigued

 

 

"How did they...maybe it's their Pact. Could it really amplify to such an extent now that they're their minds and souls? Their Pact was already above average since my Reapers' Game ran for three weeks instead of the intended one week period, making their connection to Neku as Partners last longer than the intended period. It seems these people, are showing there's still a lot to learn about the Human Soul." Joshua thought looking at them curiously

 

 

"they really did it." Mr. H thought happily

 

 

He then crossed his arms smiling at them

 

 

Joshua then smiled at them too with his hands in his pockets

 

 

"Now… comes the real challenge, teaching them how to control it." Joshua tells Mr. H

 

 

"yeah this isn't going to be easy… but… they've gone the extra mile Joshua… they did what was considered impossible for human souls or, Fledglings to do anymore." Mr. H said content

 

 

"now they'll have to learn how to fight like an Angel" Mr. H added in

 

 

"Mr. H! Joshua!" they all yelled

 

 

"We did it! We're finally angels!" they cried at the same time

 

"Ha ha, good job! I'm proud of ya! Now the next half of your training begins…" Mr. H said laid back with his hands in his pockets

 

 

"I need you three to hang tight for a sec, I gotta talk with Joshua for a bit" he tells them

 

 

The three friends were so overwhelmed with joy that they didn't mind Mr. H talking to Joshua… cause they wanted to share their excitement amongst each other.

 

 

"so what is it that you wanted me to know Josh?" Mr. H asked curiously

 

 

Joshua's face darkened

 

 

"well… Neku's Demon Lord form, Damien… he knows who I am… I think he's going to target me in the Invasion." Joshua replied with his arms crossed

 

 

This awful news then caused Mr. H's face to darken as well

 

 

"I picked up on his energy, he was scanning the Higher Plane trying to find the newest Composer…and by doing just that, I picked up on a few of his thoughts Mr H." Joshua replied darkly

 

 

"when the invasion begins--

 

 

"you mean if it begins" Mr. H says

 

 

"always the optimist… if the invasion begins" Joshua continued

 

 

"he's going to try to kill you Mr. H… he felt intrigued by how you fought him for the first time. On top of that he knows how powerful you are… he wants us out of the way so conquering the Higher Plane would become a lot easier." Joshua added

 

 

"Mr. H… if this happens… you know what we'd have to do right?" Joshua asks

 

 

Mr. H then took a deep breath and sighed desperately trying to hide his sadness so Shiki, Beat and Rhyme don't notice it.

 

 

"yeah… put the Higher Plane first and remove any threat that lingers. We Angels protect the Higher Plane. It's one of the many things that's apart of my job as an Angel. if the invasion happens…

 

 

Mr. H then felt his eyes water for a split second

 

 

"I'd have to kill Neku" Mr. H replied morosely

 

 

To be continued…


	5. Angel Training (Part 3)

 

Mr. H then smiled covering up the sadness he felt. He would have to face the fact that he would have to kill someone he considered a friend.  
  
  
  
  
He put so much time and effort into making Neku's mind and soul stronger, to help him open up to people, to help heal Neku of the sadness he felt, to know that the person who respected him so much… was now his enemy… and a very powerful threat, was heart breaking.

 

He couldn't believe it had come to this.

 

"I promised that nothing was gonna happen to ya Phones. I told you that I was gonna be there for you… but now…no…I shouldn't think like that." Mr. H thought

 

"if his friends get strong enough we may be able to stop Neku… or should I say Damien from iniciating his plan." he thought again

 

Mr. H then smiled at Joshua

 

"I guess all we can do is try Joshua, and hope we get Phones back" he said happily

 

Joshua knew Mr. H was hiding his sadness and because of this played along with Mr. H's charade. For Beat, Shiki and Rhyme's sake they couldn't know the truth… at least not yet… that they'd have to kill him in the invasion.

 

He then told Joshua that he was okay and could go back to the Composer distrit but Joshua insisted on staying because he wanted to fight Neku's friends at some point, for them to understand how violent their demon possessed friend could be. Mr. H agreed and then went to Neku's friends to continue their training

 

"Alright you guys" Mr. H said laid back "that's enough chit chat"

 

The three Angels then looked at him bashfully and watched him turn into his Angel form.

 

Mr. H then flew up to them and had sharp intense eyes

 

"now… I'll teach you how to fight as Angels. Pay attention, because everything I show you will be useful when you go to save Neku" Mr. H said darkly.

 

They then became extremely serious prepared to learn their lesson.

 

"so what now?" Beat asked

 

"well now I'm gonna teach you how to fight while flying" he replied

 

"huh? But we already learned how to fly and fight as Enlightens Mr. H, how come we need to learn that again?" Rhyme asked

 

"heh heh, well that's cause as Angels you guys are a lot stronger now" Mr. H replied

 

"for example" he continued "I'm sure you're all familiar with the phrase 'are you afraid of the dark?' People tend to see it as something evil or menacing, whereas light, on the other hand, is viewed as something that's good. But you see kiddies, I feel like people need to know what light really is… Energy."

 

"It's a form of energy? How?" Shiki asked "I mean I know the sun and all the stars are… and that us ghosts and other beings are forms of energy, but still… what do you mean Mr. H?"

 

He then flew a few feet away from them.

 

" _this_  is what I mean" Mr. H replied

 

He then summoned his white colored energy and shot it as fire towards the sky, followed by summoning lightning and shooting it towards the sky.

 

"You see, light is a form of very explosive power, this is why obviously the sun can incinerate someone, due to the intensity of the heat. The very same thing can be said for the energy of Human Souls, Reapers, Angels, Enlightens and Composers. The energy within us is very intense." Mr. H replied

 

He then flew higher and shot orbs at the ground causing them to explode upon impact with the ground

 

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme stare at the attacks with amazement

 

Mr. H then flew further away from them and engulfed his entire body with gray Angel Energy, and then unleashed it as a dome of intense energy.

 

"Bwaaaaaahaaaagh!" Beat cried "So…. So bein' an Angel is like bein' a bomb!? Yo 'dis is crazy! How da hell are we supposed to fight as a livin' bomb? I ain't ever used energy like 'dis before man."

 

"heh heh, well that's what this training is for Beat… to be… as you put it, a living bomb." Mr. H replied amused by their shocked faces

 

"now what I'm gonna teach you all is a technique that I taught Phones." Mr. H added 

 

 

"Do you think….that Neku will use it against us?" Rhyme asked sadly

 

"well… no… that's thanks to how he's a demon now…so… he doesn't remember me or any of the things I taught him." Mr. H said sadly

 

"oh" Rhyme replied hanging her head

 

"Don't worry Rhyme this training will make us ready to face Neku… and bring him back to who he really is" Shiki says sweetly

 

"yeah… you're right Shiki" Rhyme said smiling

 

"Aiiiight so what we gotta do Mr. H?" Beat asked

 

"what you all need to do is, first of all, go towards the ground since this technique works best when your standing on a firm surface" Mr. H replied

 

The three friends then did as he instructed and stood on the glassy floor.

 

Mr. H then flew down to them

 

"Alright now what I need you to do is to close your eyes, and concentrate on getting your energy to flow into your hands… then when this happens your energy will engulf your hands completely." he instructed  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"After that, you need to concentrate on giving it form…if done correctly the energy will become two orbs, one for each hand, then finally release them. This is what I taught Phones to help protect him from demons." Mr. H said

 

The three friends then looked at each other and looked back at Mr. H

 

They then closed their eyes and extended out their hands.

 

Beat, Rhyme and Shiki then felt a burning sensation in their hands

 

"this is it" Shiki thought "this has to be my energy flowing to my hands"

 

She then took a deep breath and released it.

 

"concentrate and give them form" Shiki thought

 

The energy around her hands then became orbs.

 

Mr. H then moved out of the way knowing what would happen next.

 

Then she opened her eyes and saw the orbs go flying out of her hands… she then saw white orbs outlined in green and white orbs outlined in yellow-orange fly next to hers.

 

Mr. H then looked at them smiling happy that they were able to successfully use the attack.

 

"good job" Mr. H said pleased with the results

 

"Now we're gonna do the same thing but while flying, you'll need to also be able to generate multiple orbs at the same time while doing this." Mr. H instructed

 

"wait… while flying? But how can we do that and still maintain control Mr. H?" Shiki asked

 

"Yeah it was already kind of tough doing that while standing" Rhyme added

 

"Yeah man, ain't 'dis a bit much?" Beat asked

 

Mr. H then scratched his head and sighed

 

"I know I'm asking a lot out of you.. But that's because Neku's really that strong now. Even as Angels, if you don't know how to control your energy, facing him would mean certain death." Mr. H said darkly

 

The three friends then looked at him pale with fear.

 

Mr. H noticed their fear and then tells them that everything will be okay, and to not let their fear hold them back… that his training for them would help them face Neku.

 

So they all took a deep breath and followed Mr. H into the sky where they tried to do the same attack while in the air. However in doing so they ran into the same problem Neku did when using the attack. Unleashing one's energy as an orb has such force to it that while in the air, the person who launched the attack is sent flying being recoiled from the impact.

 

Shiki then goes flying back unable to stop

 

"Shiki!" Mr. H cried "You need to pull your wings back and lean your body forward, this will make you go against the force knocking you back."

 

"o….okay!" Shiki cried in response

 

She then did as he instructed and was able to regain balance

 

Seeing what Shiki did, Beat and Rhyme then did the same and successfully stopped themselves from flying backwards.

 

Mr. H then let out a sigh of relief

 

"It's a good thing they're catching on so fast." he thought "If they were sent flying back like that when facing Phones and didn't know how to recover… he could easily take advantage of that… and kill them"

 

They trained for what felt like hours eventually learning more advanced techniques like shooting out lightning and fire, and unleashing their energy as a dome expanding and incinerating all who are in its path.

 

 

They were then taught how to Soul Surge as Angels and do powerful combination attacks, and how to unleash an Angel's true strength, by removing the cover of their wings, their Angel feathers. Mr H then allows his feathery Angel Wings to disappear revealing wings that look like his body, the same energy

 

 

"This is an Angel's wings at their true strength. The feathery Angel wings we have are just a cover, something we use to cover up this energy. That way, should they get damaged, the wound goes more towards the feathers and not the energy. Keep that in mind, and only use your true strength when necessary" Mr. H explained

 

 

Shiki and the others look in awe and then nod in agreement. they were then taught how to access this state, usually triggered through sheer determination and focusing their thoughts on empowering their wings, would the feathers then become hidden, and reveal their true appearance 

 

 

Having Angel energy inside her, unlike Beat and Rhyme, Shiki was able to learn techniques that only she could master.

 

She learned how to fuse herself with Mr. Mew's panther form, enabling her to take advantage of the immense strength that the animal has. This also enables her to recover from damage inflicted on her as an Angel due to how it takes less energy for her to be in the panther than maintaining her Angel form.

 

The three friends had finally mastered their Angel form including how to manipulate time and then told them that now they would have to face an opponent to practice on. 

 

"Before we do that though, I wanna take you somewhere else where you'll really be able to cut loose and really unleash your strength" Mr. H explained 

 

He then opens a silver portal and the friends look at each other confused and then enter the portal and exist it, entering the Angel district, a city filled with white skyscrapers  and saw Angels in their true form flying around and some in their human form walking around

 

Mr. H then looked at them and smiled 

 

"welcome to the City of Angels" he said with a smirk

 

They were then teleported to a skyscraper so they could have some privacy and then Mr. H said someone else would help them fight   
  
  
  
"Who would we practice with Mr. H?" Shiki asked  
  
  
  
  
  
the friends then looked a little nervous to see Joshua walk towards them  
  
  
  
  
"You?" Rhyme thought nervously  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hell no. This ain't right man. Prissy boy is crazy 'n stuff. There's no telling what he could do yo" Beat thought anxious  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"A God of Death, the creature I am, is  _right behind_ an Angel in terms of power. That's why Composer is right behind Angel on the ESP Ranking system. If you can't handle fighting a god, then there's no way you'd be able to fight Neku. This will help you understand what you're getting yourself into. You may be angels, but you don't have the experience Mr. H has. Your new found power means nothing if you don't know how to use it." Joshua said slyly  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The friends then stared at Joshua and took a deep breath and then flew out to him each one charging orbs of Angel energy at Joshua and then threw them at the Composer.  
  
  
  
  
  
Joshua then effortlessly dodged the orbs leaning left and right over and over, with his graceful movement looking almost like a dance. He then chuckled and teleported above the others and fired beams of Composer energy beams down on them making them scream in pain as they all fell downward.  
  
  
  
  
  
Beat, Rhyme and Shiki then all recovered in the air and launched beams of angel energy at Joshua, causing him to run towards the beams and cut through them with Composer energy generated around his hands.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Once he was close enough, he then punched Beat in the face with his right hand and unleashed a full body blast of Composer energy, launching all the others back.   
  
  
  
  
  
As they did, Rhyme teleported behind Joshua and punched him in the face, knocking him towards Shiki, who then shot Joshua with angel energy too and then felt himself fall in slow motion and was punched in the face twelve times by Beat. He then lets out a little smirk and teleports away from them.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You were able to attack me in my human form, but now, we'll see what you are really able to do." he said darkly  
  
  
  
  
  
  
the three friends then saw Joshua close his eyes and open them to become his true form  
  
  
  
  
  
"all the things you did to him, the things you did to me, making me look like Eri in the Game...I can't forgive you for what you did, and I don't know you like Neku does...so I have to do it. I have to fight him" Shiki thought trying to feel confident  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You're the one that made Rhyme forget me yo. I ain't trustin' you the way Phones does but...you did bring us back 'n you saved Rhyme, makin' her a person again 'n made her remember I'm her brother. I gotta do this, I gotta do this for Neku" Beat thought  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I don't know if I can handle this but, Beat and Shiki are here. I gotta beat up the Composer. That way we'll be close enough to fighting Neku...right?" Rhyme thought worried  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Beat, Shiki and Rhyme then flew towards Joshua, only to see the Composer hold his hand out towards them making them instantly scream in pain, as it felt like Joshua was burning them.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Joshua's Composer form then flew towards them as they trembled in pain and sent out a shockwave out to them knocking them back. As they did, Joshua then teleported towards Beat and grabbed him by the neck and smashed him into the ground.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"NO!" Rhyme screamed in her head  
  
  
  
  
She then flew towards Joshua, making him extend out his right hand, making her get launched back.   
  
  
  
  
"We have to do this!" Shiki thought worried  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
she then reached out and caught Rhyme causing them both to fly towards Joshua.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"If you can't handle my power, then you will _never_  save Neku! You're not strong enough Beat!" Joshua said in a dark voice  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He then began to punch Beat in the face over and over causing him to grunt in pain  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No...I ain't gonna fail him. I gotta do this, I gotta stop prissy boy!" Beat thought determined  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Beat then grabbed Joshua's left hand to make him stop and then channeled his Angel energy, sending out a massive blast of energy, launching Joshua back. He then teleports to Shiki and blasts her in the stomach with his energy. As she goes back, Rhyme flies to Joshua, causing him to punch her in the face to smash into the ground.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Rhyme!" Beat screamed  
  
  
  
  
  
Joshua then flew to Shiki and blasted her in the chest, making her smash onto the ground too. Beat then looks at how both girls look exhausted.  
  
  
  
  
  
"We ain't good enough...even as Angels?" he thought filled with sadness  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Beat's eyes then watered at the thought of never seeing Neku again, and how their journey in the Reapers' Game felt like it was for nothing.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No...after alla the stuff he went through, how he changed, how he went from my partner, to my friend...I can't lose him. WE can't lose Phones!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
at that moment, Beat felt a surge of energy and screamed as his Angel Energy blasted at Joshua, knocking him back. At that moment, Shiki and Rhyme felt their Angel energy burst too causing their Angel wings to transform into their full powered state  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Joshua then teleported away from the Angel versions of the friends and roared like a lion, unleashing a massive dome-like blast of energy at the Angels. This made Beat charge towards it as he roared with his Angel energy again exploding out of him like fire as his angel energy cut through Joshua's dome of Composer energy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I don't care if you  _are_  the Composer yo! I ain't gonna lose Nekuuuuu!" Beat screamed  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Shiki and Rhyme then flew alongside Beat with their energy also like fire and all three of them blasted Angel energy at Joshua, making him sheild himself from the blasts.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
when the Angel fire settled down, they then unleashed another attack. Shiki stood next to Beat with her Angel fire surging and shouted 

 

 

"You ready for this?"

 

Beat then smiled

 

 

"The Beat is on!"

 

 

he and Shiki then activated a Soul Surge based on Beat's level 1 fusion attack and teleported around Joshua multiple times unleashing their Angel energy as orbs at him from every angle. Shiki and Beat then attacked again

 

 

"Beat come on!"

 

"We got this yo!"

 

Shiki and Beat then became a drill and slammed into Joshua as Mr Mew became a panther and then shot lasers of Angel energy out of his eyes at Joshua too with all the attacks making him get launched back. They then unleashed their final Soul Surge attack level as they became bolts of lightning zig zagging around Joshua before becoming an explosion. 

 

 

Rhyme and Beat then unleashed their Soul Surges with the first one being teleporting again, the second one being him and her becoming a massive explosion as Beat became an energy rhino slammed into Joshua, with their final Soul Surge being thousands of Rhyme clones all slashing Joshua, as Beat became a drill that slammed into Joshua, blasting him away. The Composer form then teleports away and heals himself.

 

 

 

the Composer form of Joshua smiled and nodded his head  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"That determination is what you need.  _That_  right there, was the true power of Angel Energy and you all activated Soul Surges, that's good. You'll need that. Angels are at their strongest when they fight trying to protect what matters to them. This is why Angels are paired up with Composers that have become their friend. Which is why Mr. H is with me. Good job" The Composer said with pride  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
he then closed his eyes again and returned to being his normal human form, causing Beat and the others to turn back into ghosts.

 

Joshua then chuckled causing Shiki and the others to look at him confused 

 

"What's so funny?" Rhyme asked 

 

"Yeah what's going on?" Shiki said with her finger towards her face

 

"Nothing at all. I guess I'm impressed is all." Joshua said with his hands in his pockets 

 

"So whatchu sayin' yo? You think we can really do this?" Beat said with his right hand on his shoulder 

 

Joshua then placed his left hand on his chin

 

"Well, it's not like l want you to fail" Joshua answered 

 

Shiki and the others then smiled at each other and then at Joshua 

 

"Thanks Joshua. That means a lot coming from you" she said with her hands extended

 

"Maybe he's not so bad after all" Shiki thought happily 

 

Joshua then chucked 

 

"It's nothing" he said with his hair pulled back 

 

Joshua then waved and then walked away and became a ball of light and flew away

 

"If Joshua wants us to win, then I guess he really is on our side" Rhyme said with a chuckle 

 

Beat smiled and looked at Rhyme and Shiki 

 

"Yeah I guess dat fight was him trying to help us. Dat was tight! If even da Composer thinks we got this, then we gonna be aight" he said smiling 

 

 

 Mr. H chuckled 

 

"I know Joshua seems distant but l think if you give him a chance, he may start to like you guys too. I know he's not that bad. He even saved Rhyme remember?" The angel said smiling

 

Rhyme then chuckled 

 

"That's right. Without him, l wouldn't have been a human again with my memories of Beat back. I  know we don't know him that well, but at least we know he's not our enemy" she said smiling 

 

"Exactly" Mr. H added

 

 

 

Mr. H then smiled and said that they did great, and that if they fight with that passion, that they may have a shot at saving Neku after all. Happy with the results told them to go rest… however before they left Mr. H then gave them a word of caution.

 

"remember how your Enlighten forms would make you feel really tired?" Mr. H asked

 

"yeah we do" Rhyme replied

 

"Well, since it requires a lot of energy for a spirit to be able to become an Angel, only use this form if you really have too. Just like with an Enlighten form, an Angel form will put a lot of strain on your body."  Mr. H warned  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"however unlike your Enlighten forms… this new form you have… WILL cause Soul Obstruction a lot faster than the Enlighten form. So use this new power you all have very sparingly, only when circumstances demand you too, like when facing the Demon Lord."  he said sternly

 

They all looked at Mr. H with sharp eyes and serious faces understanding the cost of using the Angel form.

 

"Don't worry when the time comes… we'll be careful Mr. H" Shiki said strongly

 

 

 

"Good, now before you all go, there's something I wanna give to Rhyme and Beat" Mr. H said smiling

 

 

Beat and Rhyme then looked at each other and smiled

 

 

Mr. H then holds out both hands and generates an orb of Angel energy in each hand

 

"Think of this as a sort of graduation present. Now combine what you both have learned, with my Angel energy inside ya, and you two will be even stronger" the Guardian said smiling

 

Rhyme then giggled at Mr. H, happy at the thought of being strong enough to save Neku

 

"Thanks Mr. H" Rhyme said happily as she reached out for the orb

 

 

"Yeah, dis is awesome yo." Beat said reached out for his orb.

 

 

 

once the orbs then went inside their chests, Beat and Rhyme then smiled back at each other

 

 

 

"Good, looks like you both absorbed the energy okay. I'm proud of ya. You two have come a long way since when you first got here"

 

 

 

Mr. H then opened a portal for them to leave, causing Beat and Rhyme to thank him for his help and the Angel energy and then they left. Before Shiki could, he then asked if he could speak with her one last time before she left after Beat and Rhyme

 

 

 

"sure… what is it Mr. H?" Shiki asked while holding Mr. Mew

 

"Even though now all of you have Angel Energy inside you, there are other things that only you can do Shiki." Mr. H replied

 

"R…really?" Shiki asked

 

"yup… you and Phones have a very strong friendship, you served as Neku's motivation… the one person, that was a reason for him to back to the RG. The promise you both made to go to Hachiko. You mean more to Phones then you could ever realise Shiki." Mr. H said laid back

 

Hearing Mr. H talk about Neku like this made her blush

 

"it's because of this… I think in the long run, if it's somehow possible to save a spirit broken beyond repair, you'll be the one to do it Shiki. That's why when we train again… it'll be just you. I'm going to teach you how to Imprint as an Angel. Maybe you can reach inside of Damien's mind and find Neku there." he says smiling

 

Shiki was overwhelmed with shock

 

"I… I'm the only one who can bring him back?" Shiki said weakly

 

Mr. H  then sighed and scratched his head

 

"well I'm still not really sure, this has never been done before. No one's ever tried to help a Demon Shiki. Plus it's impossible to save them… there's nothing we can do." he replies

 

"heh heh, well… there's no way I'm stopping now Mr. H. I can at least try right?" Shiki says smiling

 

"heh heh, right" Mr. H said smiling back

 

She then became very serious

 

"Mr. H there's something I want to ask you…during my training… could you teach me how to seal a Mind and Soul within a body?"  she asked seriously

 

The mere idea of what Shiki wanted to do made him look at her with shock

 

"Shiki….you're not gonna do what I think you're going to right?" he asked concerned

 

"well….I want to… please can you teach me? Can you teach me how to recreate a body so I can seal Neku's mind and Soul in it?" Shiki says darkly

 

"Shiki… it's not that easy… on top of that I've been an Angel for a long time. To do what you're wanting to… is very advanced…and it wouldn't work. Even if you could recreate Neku's body and seal his mind and soul in it, you'd have Damien to worry about who could just as easily kill Neku and put his mind and soul back inside him." Mr. H replied sternly

 

"Please, don't overload yourself with this energy." he added "if you push yourself too hard Shiki… you'll fade away…you'd be hurting Neku… let's say he got his memories back… say you somehow do the impossible and make him a Human Soul again, how do you think he'd feel seeing you die knowing that he pushed you to go that far?"

 

Mr. H then placed his hand Shiki's shoulder

 

"I know you want to be there for him, I know you want him to be himself again, but even an Angel has their limits. There's only so much I can teach you… I'm sorry." Mr. H sadly

 

"so you're saying that this has like a one percent chance of working?" Shiki says sadly

 

"Actually it's more like zero percent. I'm not trying to upset you. I'm just telling you what I know, that this has never been done before Shiki."

 

He replied

 

Shiki then squeezed Mr. Mew tightly

 

"I know…" she says sadly "I know that there's no way I can save him… but I don't care… Neku didn't give up on me when I told him how worthless I felt…" Shiki replied weakly

 

She then looked up at Mr. H and smiled

 

"So the least I can do is be there for him right? Besides, it's like you said there are things that only I can do…so maybe I can save him… maybe there  _is_  a cure… but no one ever tried looking for it." she said happily

 

Mr. H then smiled at her determination

 

"heh heh you have a point there. We've never tried to heal a Demon before. Rather, the Higher Ups relied on my research. So… who knows Shiki." he says smiling

 

"now go on git. Beat and Rhyme's probably waiting for ya" Mr. H added in

 

"heh heh alright… see you later" Shiki said happily

 

She then walked up to the portal Mr. H had left open and returned to the Fledgling district where Beat and Rhyme waited for her.

 

"So what was 'dat about yo?" Beat asked Shiki

 

"well it was nothing really Mr. H just discussed with me how my Angel Energy should help us get Neku back" she replied

 

"heh heh that's great" Rhyme said smiling

 

"Yeah wid' the three of us as Angels against him, we got a shot at takin' the demon witch outta Phones." Beat said strongly

 

"three of us? What about Joshua and Mr. H?" Shiki said shocked

 

"well they're a lot stronger then us so I think they'd be handling… something I don't know…. Worse? Like how to protect the Higher Plane from him?" Rhyme replied

 

"yeah…. That's true" Shiki replied "I was just hoping that they'd be fighting alongside us."

 

"heh don' worry about it yo! I'mma pound that witch outta Phones an' we'll finally have him back." Beat said strongly

 

"Heh heh yeah. With the three of us… we should stand a chance" Shiki said still a little nervously

 

"should stan'a chance?" Beat replied "Hell no! we ARE getting Neku back one way or 'da other yo. Count on it!"

 

He then nudged Shiki in the arm (softly) causing her to giggle

 

"you're right Beat… I was just unsure of myself for a minute there" Shiki said happily

 

Rhyme then smiled happy to see Shiki and Beat so determined to save Neku.

 

"with the three of us as Angels and that powered up state we got now… we'll be able to save Neku. I don't care if his demon energy is like a disease slowly tearing him apart. We'll be there for him… just like how he's been there for us" she thought

 

At the moment this was happening Mr. H and Joshua began discussing the Invasion plan that Damien had made.

 

"I know you see Neku as a friend Mr. H. I know that he means a lot to you since you saw first hand how your advice made an impact on him… but if the invasion happens… you can't hold back." Joshua said crossing his arms

 

"I know" Mr. H said darkly

 

Seeing how just mentioning that made Mr. H a little sad, Joshua then placed his hands in his back pockets having a sort of nonchalant look.

 

"ugh Mr. H I think that time you spent in the UG giving Neku advice got the better of you. Neku's just a guy I killed in Udagawa, even if we had some quality time in my Game, he's still just a human soul. One of the weakest forms of energy…well in most cases." Joshua replied

 

The then snapped his fingers going to his Composer form

 

"this is what we are now after ascending the ranks Mr. H, remember that. Neku is just a random kid, even if he has a powerful Imagination, making him perfect to be my little tool, my little Proxy, like in the Reapers' Game. You know as well as I do that we couldn't really be friends with him." he said in a smug tone of voice

 

Mr. H then smiled. Almost laughing at the irony of Joshua giving him advice.

 

"Heh heh, and your time didn't? Boss you were going to kill thousands of people, bring one of Tokyo's most famous cities down to its knees. You were going to destroy it…and by doing so, as my friend, that would really hurt knowing that by doing that, you'd destroy yourself too...yet you didn't cause of him. so you can't honestly tell me that Phones is just a pawn, somone you want to use. You can deny this all you want Boss…"

 

He then snapped his fingers turning into an Angel.

 

"but we angels are good at detecting energy, and feeling its presence" he replied smugly

 

Joshua then couldn't help but chuckle at the situation

 

"Heh heh, all I know Mr. H, is that if the Invasion starts… then we can't let our emotions get in the way. I of course don't have a problem with this… but.. You being an Angel…. You're too nice Mr. H. you can't afford to let your friendship with Neku get in the way cause then you know what'll happen." Joshua replied

 

"yeah I know" Mr. H replied "I bet you're wondering it too right? How their Angel forms are adjusting after your fight with them?"

 

"well yes" Joshua said with a crooked smile

 

"how do you think the forms handled my Composer energy? Well I hope?" He asked

 

"yeah they're all getting confident in they're abilities, and although it was hard for them, as I'm sure you sensed while fighting them, it seems having them fight you helped them to an extent. To deal with a sort of block they were having with you." Mr. H replied happily

 

Joshua then let out his icy laugh

 

"well… that's wonderful news Mr. H…. except they need to know…they need to understand the situation at hand. Yes, Damien wants to invade the Higher Plane…. But they need to know the truth Mr. H… that they'll have to give up on their little dream of saving Neku if the invasion begins." he says coldly

 

"Heh heh, yeah I know. But these kids have pushed themselves so hard to save Phones that I don't think it's gonna matter Joshua…" Mr. H replied happily

 

"Oh really? How so?" Joshua asked curiously

 

"cause knowing these kids the way we do… there gonna find away to fight him in the invasion and save Neku. You need to put more faith in them Joshua. They're not as defenseless as they seem being Fledglings. In fact, their determination to save Neku has made them this strong…so who knows… maybe we can stop the invasion from happening." Mr. H said laid back

 

Joshua then shook his head and sighed.

 

"Always the optimist eh Mr. H?" Joshua said as he snapped his fingers returning to his human form

 

Mr. H then did the same

 

"heh heh well, I can't help it. Enjoy every moment with all your might whether it's gloomy or whether it's bright." he replied with his hands in his pockets

 

"heh, you're quoting the letter you wrote for Neku? Hee hee who would've thought that little slogan you made would've made such an impact on him." Joshua replied

 

"yeah my Imprinting through the graffiti really helped Phones. That's why I'm going to teach Shiki how to imprint Joshua. To see if maybe she can find Neku inside Damien's mind" Mr. H said laid back with a smile on his face

 

To be continued…


	6. Altering the Plan

Beat, Shiki and Rhyme were exhausted. The angel training had made them all very fatigued, and yet regardless of that, when they felt rested enough, they barely taped into their Enlighten forms so they were in their half Enlighten state. Each one of them flew in the air practicing all the things Mr. H had taught them, but on a smaller scale of course. They practiced hand to hand combat as well just incase it was needed…

 

 

As they practiced harnessing their skills, unknown to them is that Damien knew what they were planning. He sensed their energy spike when they turned into Angels during their training.

 

 

He roamed his section of the cathedral and eventually went back to his throne room and sat on his chair to analyze what he's learned.

 

 

"Hmmm it appears that now there's a delima interfering with my plan. If the Higher Plane is already aware of my whereabouts, and therefore is teaching those Fledglings how to become Angels, this could make the invasion plan fall apart entirely. After all, one of the mayjor key points for this plan is the element of surprise, to attack my prey when they're unaware of my presence… this may call for an entirely new approach." Damien thought

 

 

"I suppose in order to slaughter my prey, and all who oppose me, I'll have to get to know my enemy better and have a better understanding of how to toy with them. Then, in doing so I'll be able to manipulate their emotions easier…hmmm, what I could do is let them have what they want so dearly. I could lure them all to the Demon Realm, kill them, and then go and kill Sanae and Joshua." he thought again

 

 

Damien then crossed his arms and sighed

 

 

"It looks like my new plan will have to be more aggressive… alright I can do that." he thought smiling

 

 

Damien then closed his eyes and focused his thoughts on the different levels of the Higher Plane.

 

 

At the moment Damien focused his thoughts he was able to see every section of the Higher Plane with such clarity, it was as if he was actually there.

 

 

"Composer District… Higher-Ups' District… no…Enlighten District…and…there we go… the Fledgling District, which is now Shibuya… that one city in Tokyo where teenagers hang out…" Damien thought pleased

 

 

He then saw Beat, Shiki, and Rhyme in their half Enlighten forms practicing

 

 

"heh heh, it seems they're pretty determined to get their friend back… if only they knew…he no longer exists. My Fledgling form no longer remains…I see how it is… they want to save him." he thought

 

 

In his vision he then saw Mr. H appear in the district and tell Shiki that it was time for her training and then saw them in the Enlighten District.

 

 

He was intrigued at how Mr. H was going to teach Shiki how to Imprint

 

 

"You remember how to do that from the Reapers' Game right?" Mr. H asked

 

 

"yeah I remember" Shiki said

 

 

"Alright well Imprinting as Angel is the same thing, but on a larger scale. You can actually Imprint thoughts and ideas through art and music… that's how I helped Phones before he knew you." Mr. H replied

 

 

Shiki then smiled at him saying how she was happy how he's been there for Neku through his art as CAT

 

 

After she learned how to Imprint through art and music, as well as regular Imprinting, Damien then opened his eyes to end the vision.

 

 

He then smiled satisfied with how preoccupied everyone was in the Higher Plane.

 

This then gave Damien a horrible, gruesome idea.

 

He then told his Watchman telepathically that he wants to demonstrate how powerful he is to the Fledglings that want Neku back. He tells him that he wants to inflict fear upon them, showing them how they're throwing their afterlives away by trying to prepare to face him.

 

"I'm going Fledgling hunting Izawa can you keep an eye on things for me?" Damien asked

 

"Of course sir" he replied

 

"Oh, and tell the Scouters that the Invasion plan has been altered, and tell my servants this as well, that the Higher Plane knows too much for the plan to be a success and that instead we're going to let them think that the Invasion is still going to happen. In actuality however, I'm going to lure some Fledglings to the Demon Realm, kill them and then go kill Sanae and Joshua and then conquor the Higher Plane." Damien added

 

 

"Sir are you sure changing the plan is a good idea?" Izawa asked

 

 

"yes, due to current circumstances, this change had to occur." Damien replied

 

 

"Alright, consider it done sir." Izawa replied

 

 

"very good Watchman" Damien replied

 

 

He then opened a portal to the HP Shibuya where he planned to kill Fledglings.

 

 

At the moment he arrived there, Shiki had returned there as well shocked to see him just walk into the Higher Plane.

 

 

As this happened in the Higher Plane, in Damien's mind Neku began to wonder what was happening beyond the door that was locked.

 

 

"Should I…accept it?" he thought "Should I accept that I'm here with no way out?…Maybe if I let my eyes adjust to the darkness around me…I'll be able to see where I am…and where exactly is here?"

 

 

Neku then laid perfectly still and his pupils expanded from adjusting to the lack of light in the room, providing some clarity allowing him to get a better idea of where he is.

 

 

This then caused Neku to sit up and gasp with shock

 

 

"this is…my room" he thought

 

 

"I…I'm trapped inside my room…so… if this is my mind then… what does this mean? this is obviously symbolizing something but--

 

 

As Neku began to piece together what the room was Clarissa appeared startling him from being so deep in his thoughts

 

 

"Clarissa?" Neku remarked "What's with the sudden appearance?"

 

 

"well I figured you were getting bored sitting here doing nothing" she replied sweetly

 

 

"yeah...I kinda was… even the computer in this room doesn't work" Neku replied

 

 

She wanted Neku to be unsure of where he is or what's going on, to have that uncertainty lead to him feeling weak and insecure seeking her out for guidance. So she planned on tearing apart the information he just now learned.

 

 

"are you ready for my energy?" she asked sweetly

 

 

"yeah…um Clarissa… is it really helping me?" he asked weakly

 

 

"of course it is" she replied sweetly "the more this energy flows in your mind, the more powerful your body becomes. Infact, he's already putting his plan to action."

 

 

"Really?" Neku replied

 

 

"Yes, he's right now focusing on messing with the enemy, to make them scared of fighting him so his victory is easier to obtain." she replies smiling

 

 

Clarissa then sits on the bed next to Neku

 

 

"that sounds kind of cheap fighting like that" Neku remarked

 

 

"yes, but when taking on a powerful enemy it only makes sense to try to make them weaker doesn't it?" Clarissa added

 

 

Neku then turned away from her trying to analyze what she's saying

 

 

"yeah…I guess it makes sense when you put it like that." he said weakly

 

 

"it's funny" he thought "Clarissa… she's almost like some guardian or something, it's like she's providing me guidance…and… when I'm with her…I feel like I'm starting to understand things better."

 

 

Neku then took a deep breath and released it

 

 

"alright… I'm ready for the energy" he says to her

 

 

"Okay Neku, here it comes" she says sweetly

 

 

Neku then squeezed the bed sheets and closed his eyes.

 

 

Clarissa then placed her hand on his back

 

 

"Nnngh!" he grunted

 

 

"it…it's burning me…but…it's not to the point I want to scream in pain. I… I'm really getting stronger if I can handle this now" he thought

 

 

"Hmm he seems to be handling my energy better." Clarissa thought "good, his mind is adjusting to my energy. It looks like now I can pour a larger amount into him."

 

 

She then placed her hand on Neku's back with more force causing him to squeeze the bed sheets tightly while gritting his teeth.

 

 

"Nnnnnnnngh!" he grunted again

 

 

"it's…. it's more intense now… it feels like this sort of jolt of pain is going through my whole body….but…I have to endure this… she's pushing to the next level of her power… to make me stronger…I…I have to deal with it." Neku thought.

 

 

Clarissa then smiled happy with hearing Neku's thoughts.

 

 

Meanwhile as this happened in Damien's mind Shiki was filled with fear.

 

 

She also sensed he lowered his presense so weakly, that Fledglings that lacked the experience that Shiki, beat and Rhyme had, were the only ones who could interact with. All they could do is watch as he prepares to kill Fledglings.

 

 

He was pleased being able to see their shocked faces as he walked around Shibuya pretending to be part of the crowd.

 

 

In fact he's lowered his energy to the point his presense was practically undetectable making Mr. H, Joshua, and all of the Higher Ups unable to feel his presence.

 

 

One of the Fledglings approached him asking who he was

 

 

"No!" Shiki cried "there has to be a way to lower our presense so we can help them!"

 

 

At this moment they then returned to their ghost forms.

 

 

"But Shiki if we do that, we'd be as weak as someone who had just become a Fledgling, we'd be getting ourselves killed!" Rhyme cried filled with grief

 

 

"BUT 'DIS AIN'T RIGHT!" Beat roared

 

 

"So all we can do is watch him run around as another Fledgling? Neku…yo man I can't believe how far gone he is" he said sadly

 

 

It was gut wrenching knowing what he was most likely going to do, and how they powerless to stop him.

 

 

They saw Ai and Mina as Fledglings, Beat then wrapped his arm around Rhyme holding her afraid of what Damien would do to them.

 

 

Unsure of why he looked the way he did, Ai and Mina approached Damien regardless of his rather menacing appearance. They tried to look past it, to be nice, and talk to him.

 

 

"Hi I'm Mina" she said happily

 

 

"and I'm Ai" Ai added in

 

 

"hi there, I'm Damien. So are you new around here?" he asked casually

 

 

"well um yeah actually we are… we haven't been here for that long. I'm just trying to get used to the fact that I'm dead." Ai replied

 

 

"yeah… I hope Eri's okay…she's lost so many friends." Mina added

 

 

"Eri?" Damien repeated

 

 

"was she your friend when you were alive?" he asked pretending to be interested in the conversation

 

 

"Yeah, Eri has tons of friends and recently made new ones. The people her other friend Shiki Misaki introduced her to. But…Shiki… and all those new friends are gone, just like… what was his name? the orange haired boy who wore that J of M t-shirt? I know I had a class with him, the boy from class 2-1?" Mina said

 

 

"I think it was Neku" Ai responded

 

 

At this moment when Damien heard his former name called, Neku, within his mind heard it as well.

 

 

"huh?" he thought

 

 

Neku then opened his eyes

 

 

 

"Clarissa stop…please…I…I think I heard someone call me. It was a little muffled…but…it sounded like someone said my name" he said aloud

 

 

"Don't worry about that Neku… for all we know it could be someone trying to mess with you. People are very deceptive after all, so don't worry I'm sure it was nothing." she said sweetly

 

 

 

"yeah…I guess you're right." he said weakly

 

 

Neku then took a deep breath and allowed her energy to flow into him once more

 

 

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Damien said empathetically

 

 

He then smiled showing his shark teeth

 

 

"Death is something we all face" he says darkly

 

 

"D…Damaien what's going on?" Ai asked in shock

 

 

He then began to walk closer to them making Ai and Mina's eyes widen with fear.

 

 

He then generated his red demon energy as lightning in his left hand.

 

 

"Damien what're you doing!?" Mina cried

 

 

But he didn't respond

 

 

The girls then began to back away slowly terrified of this almost instant change in his behavior.

 

 

They tried to be kind and friendly to the mysterious boy, which would now, only lead to their gruesome fate 

 

 

Damien then grabbed Mina's right arm with his right hand.

 

 

"Mina, please don't run away from me…I thought you wanted to be my friend." he said softly

 

 

"LET HER GO!" Ai roared

 

 

"well that was uncalled for, here I am trying to talk to you two and you start treating me like a monster." he says darkly

 

 

"Do you still want to be my friend?" Damien asked Mina

 

 

Being so close to him, she was able to analyse Damien's face.

 

"no!" Mina thought "This guy….is Neku!? He looks exactly like him…"

 

 

Damien than smiled at her and stabbed her chest with the red demon energy causing her to let out a gasp as she tried to breathe and made Mina instantly Fade away.

 

 

The mere sight of it made Rhyme burry her face in Beat's Shirt causing her to cry.

 

 

"MINAAAAAA!" Ai screamed

 

 

"Don't worry, you'll be joining her soon." Damien says slyly

 

 

He then grabbed her right arm and generated the red energy again

 

 

"Did you know this energy is actually considered weaker than my black demon energy?" he says nonchalantly

 

 

"What!? You mean, you're not even trying?! You…You're Neku…why are you doing this!?" Ai screamed

 

 

"well first of all, I'm not that boy anymore… at one point I was…and as for why I'm doing this…. It's fun to me" he said smiling

 

 

The Demon Lord then slashed Ai with the energy causing her to unleash a blood-curdling scream, killing her.

 

 

Beat and Shiki just stared at him watching more fledglings die, killing them with one hit. with tears streaming down their face.

 

 

More and more Fledglings faded from Damien's power all unleashing blood-curdling screams so loudly, Neku could hear them.

 

 

 

As he allowed Clarissa's energy to flow inside him, he then heard the screams of pain.

 

 

"Clarissa stop!" he cried

 

 

"Nngh! What's going… on…out there?" he asked weakly from being burned by her

 

 

"it sounded like…people screaming in pain…almost like… they were being murdered" he added

 

 

"Neku…I'm sorry. But this is the only way to rid the afterlife of mean, hurtful spirits. They're immortal after all, so the only way to save this world is to do that." Clarissa responded

 

 

He then heard more Fledglings scream

 

 

"No!" he roared

 

 

"Clarissa…this isn't right…they…they're being killed." he added

 

 

"But Neku I thought you liked the idea of an afterlife free of hate and hurtful people." she replied sweetly "Why should you care what happens to them?"

 

 

Neku then hid his face in his funnel collar

 

 

"It's true…I… I want to live in a world where no one will hurt me…where I don't have to deal with people pretending to like me, just to stab me in the back later on…but…it's not like I'd kill that person." he replied weakly

 

 

"I'm sorry Neku…but this is the only way." she says sadly

 

 

"yeah…I… I guess so" Neku said weakly

 

 

He then tried to block out the screams by letting Clarissa's energy flow into him again.

 

 

As this happened Damien killed even more fledglings

 

 

out of all the horrible things they watched him do, one of the Fledglings that they saw Damien prepare to kill made Shiki's heart sink.

 

 

"I can't believe they're in the Higher Plane…When did they die? I know I saw them in the RG before all this began" Shiki thought

 

 

"Sota and Nao" she said weakly

 

 

"Run! Get out of there!" she thought

 

 

She remembered how they helped Neku cope with her being his entry fee and how on top of that they said it was sort of a good thing, that when a person becomes a Player's entry fee, it means that that person is very important to them.

 

 

Damien approached them smiling however Sota and Nao saw the destruction he caused and immediately backed away from him.

 

 

"like what's his deal? Why is that kid killing so many people Sota?" Nao asked weakly

 

 

"I don't know… but… keep backing up, if we get a certain distance we might be able to out run him" Sota remarked

 

 

"Why does he look familiar?" he thought "he looks a lot like that Player I helped in the Reapers' Game…Neku?"

 

 

"what's wrong? you seem scared" Damien said smiling

 

 

"N…Neky… is that you?" Nao said as her voice trembled

 

 

"it's me… Nao… or Nao-Nao for short… remember? We met in the Game." she added nervously

 

 

He then generated red energy in both hands

 

 

"Nao… get ready to run away" Sota says quietly

 

 

"what's happened to him?" Sota thought "this bloodthirsty, murderous boy… this isn't the same kid I met in the Reapers' Game"

 

 

The moment they began to turn away from Damien to run away, in the blink of an eye, he instantly teleported himself to them with such speed he became a grayish black blur.

 

 

 

Damien then choked them, suspending them into the air, and told them the awful fate that befell Neku.

 

 

"the boy you two are mentioning… the boy you met in the Reaper's Game, Neky… as you put it…is no longer around." Damien said smiling

 

 

"No! you mean like… Neky's gone?" Nao cried

 

 

"in a way…yes… the boy you two met, in a way, is dead. He doesn't exist anymore. He was overwhelmed by a powerful type of energy called Demon energy. Eventually the energy consumed him, transforming him into what stands in front of you….me." he replied

 

 

Damien then widened his grin even more revealing his shark teeth

 

 

 

"no…" Sota thought "How could Neku turn into this….thing? He was such a nice kid… a little rough around the edges being filled with grief over his first partner…but still…he even tried to protect Nao and me from those taboo Noise… how? How could such a good kid turn into this?"

 

 

Damien then tightened his grip on their throats causing them to gasp for air before they were finally electrocuted by his energy. Instantly fading into light blue specs of energy.

 

 

The mere sight of what they just saw caused Shiki and Beat to sob with grief, both over the Fledglings who were killed, and to see how insane Neku had become as a Demon.

 

 

Damien then walked over to Beat, Rhyme and Shiki knowing that they were watching him the whole time, and told them a chilling message. Seeing him so close Rhyme, stared at him wide-eyed from fear. This then made Damien smile at Rhyme for a few seconds before looking back at them as a group

 

 

"let this be a warning to you little Fledglings, the boy you want back so badly doesn't exist anymore…I wasn't even trying when I killed these people. So… should you try to save your little friend, you'll then see what I can really do."

 

 

Damien then smiled, having an almost relaxed look as he looked at them pleased with their fear.

 

 

"I'll see you later" he said darkly

 

 

He then holds out his right hand and opens up a portal back to the demon realm, and stepped inside it.

 

 

When he finally vanished they all let out a sigh of relief, it was as if when Damien was attacking they couldn't breathe.

 

 

 

At this moment Mr. H and Joshua appeared

 

 

"what's going on?" Joshua asked curiously

 

 

"Bwaaaagh! What'chu mean? you don' know what's goin' on?" Beat cried

 

 

"yeah… you… you didn't see what happened?" Rhyme asked

 

 

"well, sort of. When Damien came here he lowered his power to interact with weak Fledglings as you know. But by doing this, the energy within him swirled around inside him, as if desperate to get out of him. And… in a way it did. I made a portal to see why so many Fledglings were disappearing at once. But when I looked inside, everything was blurry, I could barley tell what was happening. So to play it safe I stayed in my district until the comotion was over." Joshua replied

 

 

"WHAT!?" Shiki roared "JOSHUA YOU COULD'VE HELPED THEM, YOU COULD'VE DONE SOMETHING AND--

 

 

"really? You really think I could've just gone in my HUMAN form to Damien and use my Composer abilities to stop him? Do you realize how that would've made the situation worse? If too much energy is within one place, that entire section of the Higher Plane will collapse. I would've killed everyone here if I used my powers to fight someone so drastically stronger than me." Joshua said darkly while crossing his arms

 

 

 

"But you fought Clarissa when I was trying to protect Neku." Shiki said confused

 

 

 

"Yes, but at that time all these Fledglings were well… invisible or...undetected. They're presence wasn't as noticeable so it was only you and Neku for that time. There were other Fledglings there, but their presence was very weak to the point they couldn't be seen." Joshua replied

 

 

 

"So there's nothing you could've done?" Shiki said weakly squeezing Mr. Mew

 

 

"No… I there wasn't… and unfortunately, the same thing goes for Mr. H… that's why we had the war in the Enlighten district. Where nearly all forms of energy can be there without overpowering each other." he added

 

 

"he's right" Mr. H added morosely "I'm sorry I wish I could've protected them…but… I would've killed everyone there."

 

 

"So… is 'dat what Phones can do as a Demon? He killed those people wid one hit yo! ONE HIT! Even I ain't that tough man…not even as an Angel yo." Beat said weakly

 

 

"well no, there's only so much we understand about demons. My research on them only says so much. They're really hard to figure out and it's like what Damien said Beat, that wasn't his full strength." Their Angel friend explained

 

…in fact… we haven't had a Demon lord as well….menacing as him in a while. Much like Reapers, Demon Lords and Mistresses all have their own way of handling that power at their disposal. Whereas Clarissa was more aggressive, Neku as Demon Lord seems more sophisticated and nonchalant, this is really the only time he's acted so viciously." Mr. H replied

 

"what do you think he was trying to do?" Rhyme asked

 

"well what I'd guess, is show you what could happen to you guys if you try to save Neku. You know how risky this is, and so does he." Mr. H replied

 

"It don't matter yo! He… he can try to scare us all he wants. That ain't gonna stop us from poundin' that Demon witch outta him." Beat roared trying to hide how terrified he was

 

Mr. H realizing this sighed and scratched his head

 

"Beat, I know you want to be strong for your sister…but you need to know when to accept fear. To face the reality that this may be too much for you." Mr. H said softly

 

"TOO MUCH FOR ME? AIN'T NOTHIN' TOO MUCH FOR ME YO! AND I'MMA SAVE HIM FROM THAT FREAK INSIDE HIM! I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES MAN!" he screamed at Mr. H

 

"EVEN IF IT TAKES YOUR LIFE!?" Mr. H roared

 

They all stared at him in shock, (except for Joshua since he already knew Beat would react this way because of his tough guy ego) none of them had seen Mr. H lose his cool and show anger like he did just now.

 

 

"IF YOU GET RECKLESS AND ACT LIKE THE TOUGH GUY, TO TRY TO LOOK LIKE NOTHING CAN HURT YOU, YOU'LL JUST DIVE INTO DANGER NO MATTER WHAT NEKU THROWS AT YOU!" Mr. H exclaimed

 

 

 

He then took a deep breath and tried to calm down

 

 

"Beat" he said softly "If you go out of control and let your emotions get in the way like that and just charge into the fight, or do the opposite and hesitate to hurt Neku, giving him an opening, he will kill you." Mr. H said darkly

 

 

Seeing the harsh reality, that Beat may not be able to be the tough guy and actually stand a chance against Neku… was gut-wrenching for Beat. He hated the idea of being so weak or… too helpless to save his friend. The mere thought of losing Neku forever as an insane killer made Beat's eyes water.

 

 

"Do you really want Neku back?" Mr. H asked him

 

 

 

"Of course I do yo…Neku man, he's my friend" Beat replied with a tear streaming down his left cheek

 

 

 

Rhyme wanted to say something to cheer him up… but she knew Mr. H was right and hanged her head

 

 

Shiki felt her eyes water too from seeing the reality of how far gone Neku was.

 

 

"Then please, for Neku's sake don't get careless…. any of you. You need to back each other up, and make a plan. If it doesn't work then make a back up plan." Mr. H insisted

 

 

"Don't worry Mr. H we have one" Shiki added "we're going to try to beat Clarissa out of him."

 

 

 

"and if that doesn't work?" Mr. H asked

 

 

"then…I'll try my Imprinting on him." Shiki replied

 

 

Mr. H then let out a sigh of relief

 

 

"good they've at least thought this through… but the real question is whether or not they can pull it off when they finally face to face with him. When they're finally about to fight for Neku…especially Shiki…her energy has a very strong link to his energy…well… when it wasn't engulfed by demon energy that is…I think that may effect her emotionally beyond her control. It may be too much having to hurt him." Mr. H thought

 

 

"Well I'm just glad he didn't attack you guys, that you're safe." Mr. H said smiling

 

 

"yes that would've been so unfortunate if anyone of you faced Soul Obstruction" Joshua added pulling back his hair wih his smug smile.

 

 

"Just be careful you three" he added

 

"Yeah…we…we will" Shiki said weakly

 

 

And with that remark, the Composer and Angel went to their ball forms and returned to the Composer district.

 

 

Mr. H then reported to the Higher Ups what Damien has done as well as an update on his observations about Joshua, that luckily since the Reaper's Game is over, that he doesn't seem as out of control.

 

 

But at the same time Mr. H couldn't help put wonder if Joshua would help Beat, Shiki and Rhyme face Neku. He knows deep down that they're friends, and that they may need his strength when they face Neku…


	7. A Lost Friend

After Mr. H and Joshua had left the three friends went back to the house to analyze everything that they saw. None of them could believe it, they all wished it was just a horrible nightmare that they hadn't woken from. They wished that Neku wasn't that monster they just saw and were filled with heart ache.

 

 

"Phones…Neku yo… how could he turn into dis?" Beat thought

 

 

He then let out a frustrated groan

 

 

"How are we suppose to stop him yo…I mean…damn that was intense… that wasn't Neku…what are we gonna do? He said sadly

 

 

"I…I don't know…" Shiki replied weakly

 

 

"what if our plans don't work… you saw how powerful he is as a demon. What if…there's nothing we can do?" she added

 

 

 

As the three friends sat in Shiki's room again with their heads hanging down from grief, Rhyme lifted hers with shock from Shiki's comment.

 

 

"Shiki don't talk like that! Neku will be okay we'll get him back and--

 

 

"Rhyme…I want to think that we can do this, I really do but…after seeing what he just did…I don't know. One little mistake, just one little screw up, and we'll all Fade. We'd never see Neku again. Shiki said with heartache

 

 

 

"We need to face the fact that…he might be stuck like this… and on top of that even if I could Imprint on him… he's the old Neku again…he…he hated me when we first met…I know he did…Neku…he just saw me like everyone else…a backstabbing, worthless, loser that would try to hurt him." she said with grief

 

 

A lone tear then streamed down Shiki's left cheek. It hurts her to know he feels like it's him against the world, that everyone has the potential to hurt him, and that if he let's someone in… that he'd get hurt.

 

 

"Neku…I don't want to hurt you…I… I want to be your friend…can you hear me?"

 

 

she thought hoping to get a response…but he was too far gone. It would take more then her just trying to communicate telepathically to him. 

 

 

"Shiki…we…we gotta try yo. We can't give up on Phones…we jus' can't" Beat said weakly

 

 

 

"I…I know Beat…I just can't stand that he's back to feeling hurt again" she replied

 

 

"Do you mind…telling us what made him that way? If we have a better understanding of what's hurting Neku… then maybe we can figure out a command code you could use to get inside Neku's mind." Rhyme said

 

 

Shiki then suddenly lifted her head with as her face lit up with an idea.

 

 

"Rhyme…that's it! That's what we need… we need a command code for me to go inside Neku's mind….and….I guess he wouldn't mind…since now according to Clarissa we never existed, and he did tell me that he's wanted to tell you both about it too." Shiki replies

 

 

Shiki then wiped the tear from her cheek and took a deep breath.

 

 

"okay…the first thing you should know is…that he got that way from being abandoned by people he thought were his friends--

 

 

"Yeah I remember you sayin' dat Shiki" Beat remarked

 

 

"and how they betrayed him" Shiki added

 

 

Beat and Rhyme's eyes then watered at the thought of Neku being hurt that way.

 

 

"Betrayed him?" Beat repeated

 

 

 

"yeah…when he was a kid, people made fun of him for…just being himself. Neku's never been one to be in the in crowd….heh heh, he'd always just do his own thing."

 

 

Shiki couldn't help but smile when she said that. It was something she had always admired about him. Whereas she was willing to give up who she was to try to be someone she's not, Neku refused and ignored trends refusing to give up who he is. After all, he's the one that taught her the importance of being herself.

 

 

It then quickly vanished as she prepared to tell Beat and Rhyme everything else that happened to him.

 

 

"But because of him liking what HE liked and not caring about what everyone else liked…he…he was made fun of for it. People thought Neku was weird. He had friends that stood by him during those hard times…but…they didn't care about him anymore…they were just there. Each one of the people he thought were his friends would make fun of him, argue with him, or simply tell him to go away…none of them cared anymore." she said filled with grief

 

 

"but…it got better for him didn't it?" Rhyme asked hopeful

 

 

"No, not at first… all those times people made fun of him were part of his childhood…he has no childhood friends…they all left him. But…as he got older and entered middle school and they would argue with Neku and betrayed him again." Shiki said sadly

 

 

 

"They would spread rumors about him saying that he's weird. During that time he was abandoned again…and through all of that pain and heartache that made him shut down, not wanting to really feel, Neku had one last friend that made him happy." She said feeling her eyes water a little

 

 

Shiki then gulped remembering what happened to him, the last person to actually give a rat's ass (as Neku would put it) about him.

 

 

They then noticed Shiki became extremely pale.

 

 

 

"Yo Shiki you okay?" Beat asked

 

 

 

"Y...yeah I am" she replied

 

 

She then took a deep breath and sighed

 

 

"Rhyme…do you remember how I told you how Neku reacted to your death?" she asked

 

 

Rhyme then hanged her head

 

 

"yeah…you said…that Neku was like a robot, emotionless, like some scary inhuman Reaper. He didn't feel anything…" she said sadly

 

 

"well the real truth behind that is, he actually DID feel sad but kept it to himself. He didn't want to admit it out loud. That's why he instead just wrote you off saying that you facing Erasure was just meant to be, that he couldn't really feel that sad over someone he didn't know that well. You see, you died almost exactly like Neku's one real friend…but he was so used to feeling hurt by his friends, to the point he would get hurt physically too! To the point of getting headaches, crying and stomach aches! All of that hurt him to the point...that little by little, he didn't want to feel anymore!" Shiki cried

 

 

 

"Phones...dat's so messed up" Beat said sadly

 

 

"I never knew how much his old friends really hurt his mind like that." Rhyme said hanging her head

 

 

"Don't you see? The Neku we met in the Reapers' Game was like that cause of _years_ of not wanting to feeling anything! Determined to not trust people and not get hurt ever again!" Shiki said squeezing Mr. Mew

 

 

Beat and Rhyme looked at her in shock…and felt sad at how he was so hurt that Neku had tried to shut down. Rhyme remembered what Neku said during that last moment of peace they had, the last day they all hanged out together. The most Neku said about that was that he had a friend that died like rhyme did…but they never knew how much sadness went behind it. How personal Rhyme's death became for him.

 

 

"I'm so sorry Neku. If I had knew him back den, yo...I woulda pounded those punks for messin' wid his head like dat!" Beat said hurt

 

 

"I still can't believe it...It's so messed up. but...What about Neku's friend? the one that died like me?" Rhyme said sadly

 

 

Shiki then hanged her head

 

 

"Okay, I'll tell you know" Shiki said with her eyes watering a little

 

"so he was hanging out with his friend Takato or…Taki for short at Miyashita Park, the actual park not the underpass. They began to rough house and…one of the trains began to go towards them! Taki….he…he pushed Neku away from the train but…by doing that, he died." she said with heartache

 

 

Shiki then tells them about how it was the last straw, how Neku couldn't take losing all his friends…and wasn't sure what to do with his life after Taki died and…how CAT saved him, how he would practice drawing graffiti with colored pencils and would even draw The Ghost Cat from memory.

 

 

"No…Phones….you didn't…you didn't want to do 'dat right? Beat thought with melancholy

 

 

"it's no wonder he likes CAT so much yo. CAT was there for 'im when no one else was." he remarked

 

 

Rhyme then giggled and smiled

 

 

"Yeah…it sounds like CAT really saved him" she said happily

 

 

"So do you think if we tried to remind him of who he is that he'll get better?" Shiki asked

 

"hells yeah! After all 'da stuff you jus' said, there ain't no way that demon witch is gonna control Phones yo! But still, I hate sitin' around here yo! I wanna save Neku NOW!" he roared

 

 

"WE CAN'T JUS' SIT AROUND HERE YO! WE GOTTA DO SOMTHIN' AND GO BRING 'IM BACK YO! WE GOT NO TIME TO JUS' DO NOTHIN' THE MORE WE WASTE TIME SITTIN' HERE THE MORE DAT DEMON WITCH MESSES WID PHONES AND--

 

 

"and where would we go Beat?" Shiki added

 

 

"We don't know where he could be…I just saw Neku put his headphones back on and go through a portal….leaving me behind…" she said sadly

 

 

Shiki then curled in a ball from saying that…remembering how he had gone back to who he was before.

 

 

"We know now how to cross into other realms of existence now, so I'd guess Neku is in…well…a Demon Realm. But even if we went there, who knows what would be waiting on the other side." she replied as her voice began to break

 

 

"Yeah…plus… he's going to try to take over the Higher Plane so…we have to approach this carefully." Rhyme remarked

 

 

As the three friends discussed what they should do, Damien was sensing their presence, and was satisfied with how much fear he inflicted on them.

 

 

He then told his Watchman Izawa, to tell the Heathens (Demons at the Reaper equivalent to an Officer) also about the changes in his plan and about his goal to kill the Composer of Shibuya and his fallen Guardian Angel, Sanae.

 

 

Although a little disappointed, the Heathens accepted the change. Izawa then told them they had new orders, orders that made them grin with excitement, and a thirst to kill.

 

 

He told them that part of his plan is to allow the Higher Plane to think the invasion is still going to unfold and catch them by surprise by being the only one to arrive to their dimension.

 

 

He'll then pretend that he's there to negotiate certain terms with them…then, while they are caught off guard he'll attempt to kill Joshua and Sanae knowing that the Fledglings that want to have their friend back will be there.

 

 

He'll trick them into following him and eventually kill his former friends. After that phase is completed he'll then kill Joshua and Sanae knowing how powerful they are…and finally target the Higher Ups.

 

 

"Before the Demon Lord can do this, there's a roll you and the Scouters will play." Izawa said smiling

 

 

"we need this to be convincing after all, so I'll protect him should the Fledglings attempt to go to his throne room to confront him. The same goes for his servants as well." he continued

 

"So where do we come in?" one of the Demurals asked

 

 

"well, you're going to be in charge of fighting those Fledglings I mentioned earlier, don't take them lightly. They have learned how to unleash an Angel form." Izawa replied sternly

 

 

"so all we gotta do is fend them off for a bit and then let them go right?" the leader of the Heathens asked.

 

 

"that's exactly it, Dokueki. Be sure to take advantage of your poisonous claws" Izawa said slyly

 

 

"of course sir" Dokueki replied

 

 

As this happens in other parts of the Cathedral, Izawa then summons Akemi and Hikaru to speak with them

 

 

"What is it sir?" Akemi asked while bowing

 

 

"Yes, is it true sir? that we are needed too?" Hikaru asked

 

 

 

"it's true, you're absolutely right" Izawa answered "Damien knows how, although you're both servants, you're both very powerful and trusts you two to be able to fight alongside me, should the situation arise"

 

 

 

"Really?" Akemi asked

 

"Yes. I trust that you all will be faithful allies in battle. After all, the three of us have carried the tradition of serving past Demon Lords and Mistresses for centuries" Izawa said confidently

 

 

"That's true" Hikaru added

 

 

"It's just been so long that we've gotten to fight together, I was wondering if Lord Damien would include us. I'm glad he trusts us so much"

 

 

"As am I" Izawa replied

 

 

 

As the three Demons discussed the situation, Damien's mind is yet again wondering what to do.

 

 

Neku lays alone in the room eventually Clarissa stopped burning him and allowed him to rest.

 

 

As he laid there allowing himself to relax, his painful memories came crashing back to him…his childhood began hurting him.

 

 

"No…I….I don't want to remember this…all those people…" he thought

 

 

"People just drag me down and hold me back. They've all let me down…so…what's the point in trusting them? People just lie and manipulate each other. People…are nothing but monsters… destroying someone's mind at any chance they get. Whether it's subtle like someone pretending to like me…or….being up front about it ...abandonment…that's…that's what people are good at."

 

 

"I don't want to open up to people…ever. At least…CAT understands me…living free…being who you want to be…if only more people in Shibuya understood this… heh heh, but… Shibuya sucks ass anyway." the frusterated teen thought

 

 

"everyone's caught up in something worthless like….trends...so…no one in this city would get me…I've lived there my whole life but…I've never really clicked with people. I…I have my own click, my own way of thinking… I've got my values…. So they can keep their's"

 

 

He then curled up into a ball on the bed and laid on his left side and closed his eyes

 

"Mom… Dad… do you know where I am? Do you still think about me?" he thought

 

 

"you drove me nuts, more so dad than mom...but after a while thought we started to get along better. It's probably been a while in the living world's time since I've been dead… how long has it been?"

 

 

"As much as you guys would drive me nuts I…I miss you guys…I just wish I could be with you all again…even if this place I'm in now is like my room…it's not the same. Mom…I want to spray paint graffiti with you… we could find a legal wall and spray paint there…or maybe we could even bomb a wall. Heh heh… it'd be kinda cool seeing what we could create."

 

As he was trapped in his memories and sadness from missing his family, Neku felt pain in his chest… it felt heavy.

 

"heart ache?" he says aloud

 

"even though this room is my mind… I'm no longer in control of my body…so then am I still a ghost, just a little piece that didn't get empowered by the demon energy?" he thought

 

"Heh heh, so even as a ghost…I'm still a person…I feel heart ache, even when being inside my mind." he thought aloud

 

 

"CAT…how can I enjoy every moment with all I've got… when I…I feel so unsure? I just wish I knew you… that I could talk to you." he thought

 

 

"I…I wish you were here…" he whimpered

 

He then felt even greater heartache from his uncertainty turning into helplessness. For the first time in his life… he felt like he had no control…he knows that it's nearly impossible to control life.

 

 

But for the things he could control, like choosing to be himself, trying to do things on his own before having to ask some one for help out of desperation. (even then he'd try to solve things on his own, due to how unreliable people have been to him in the past) he couldn't believe it.

 

 

Neku was trapped, like a cat trapped in a cage…but the cat is afraid of leaving it. even though he knows he's trapped, he's become familiar with his cage, preferring its familiarity over what lurks beyond it.

 

 

Neku…was lost. Seeking to run away from the world and block it out with his music, and he did just that.

 

 

As Neku became overwhelmed by sadness he began to play songs on his MP3 to distract him from his thoughts…

 

 

Meanwhile as this happened in the Demon Realm, Mr. H and Joshua are in the Composer district crossing over to the district the Higher Ups reside in. they were having a meeting to discuss Neku's current situation.

 

 

They went to the Higher Ups Court Room also known as the Slaughter Room. This is due to how whereas a Composer will pass judgment on Humanity, The Higher Ups, also nicknamed Maestros, do this to all energy beings, including Angels.

 

Depending on the severity of their crimes they may merely be stripped of their title or rank. Or in Mr. H's case, deemed unclean. Meaning that although the Spirit has not committed a crime punishable by Soul Obstruction (the highest offence) that they are criminals…people that have disgraced the Higher Ups.

 

 

However they knew that due to the circumstances of the Reapers' Game and how out of control Joshua was at the time, that they had no choice but to allow Mr. H to interfere.

 

 

The court room was silver colored, everything from the pews to the floor was in the same color.

 

 

The Higher Ups, in order to keep themselves safe from being pursued by demons keep their identities a secret by wearing white cloaks outlined in gold, and remain in their human forms to make it harder to distinguish whether or not they are Angels in Human forms or Composers.

 

 

The Higher Ups consist of twelve Angels just above Mr. H's power, but have a strong connection to a powerful force that enable them unique abilities and more hostile personalities, for an Angel.

 

Five of them are women, and seven men. In order to make it even more difficult to distinguish them apart from each other, their human forms all have a pale completion with only variations in height and weight distinguishing themselves apart.

 

 

One of the men spoke to Sanae and Joshua.

 

 

"Do you know why you're here Sanae?" he asked

 

 

Mr. H then got on one knee kneeling to the Maestro out of respect. Being sly young man he is, Joshua merely bowed to the Higher Ups as a reference to how they share certain traits

 

 

"Yes sir, I do…You wish to discuss the current situation with the Composer of Shibuya's Proxy correct?" Mr. H replied

 

 

(He knew better than to talk in his usual laid back tone. If he managed to offend or anger one of them, they could easily kill him)

 

 

"Sharp as always Sanae, you are indeed correct, you may rise Angel" the Maestro instructed

 

 

Mr. H then did as instructed and Joshua then stopped his bow.

 

 

"Neku Sakuraba, that young man was able to control multiple energies in the Reapers' Game as part of his final attack on the Conductor. His mind and soul was powerful enough to fuse with the Composer and two Players….and now that same boy became a threat. He may have the power to kill you two, our most powerful forms of energy." the Head Maestro said sternly

 

 

"You Sanae, have been with us for many years and picked up on Angel techniques rather quickly when you entered the Higher Plane, and you Joshua, although you are a very reckless Composer being born only a few years ago, have gained a vast understanding of what it means to be a Composer. Which lead you to unfortunately go against our wishes." Aiden continued

 

 

"It is my fear that Neku may target you two and kill you to then target us." he added

 

 

"I am aware" Mr. H replied "But I know these Fledglings who succeeded in becoming Angels, something that hasn't been accomplished in thousands of years in the RG's time. They wish to save the Proxy and make him a Human Soul again."

 

 

"Yes I know Sanae. You went against one of our rules and taught them this…. But due to the circumstances at hand, we are willing to let it slide. However Joshua…you on the other hand must take responsibility for your Proxy." Aiden said harshly

 

 

"His mind and soul grew stronger because of YOU killing him to make him play the Reapers' Game, and it was YOU who was protecting him in the 2nd week to strengthen your Proxy even further.On top of that, Neku Sakuraba revealed his Soul to his mother. Humans are meant to WONDER about the afterlife NOT know about its existence. otherwise how else can they enjoy their life in the RG knowing another one awaits?" Aiden said frustrated

 

 

Neku must be punished for his actions." the Head Maestro concluded

 

 

One of the Female Maestros noticed Mr. H's concern

 

 

She then smiled at him and sighed

 

 

"Sanae" she said sweetly "we know that the boy means a lot to you. You witnessed first hand the impact your energy had on him. We know how seeing humans happy means so much to you Angels, being the empathetic beings you are. But…you must cast those feelings aside now. Neku is now a demon, and a very powerful one at that. He must be killed there is no other way."

 

 

Mr. H's face then darkened at the thought of hearing Neku scream in agony as he killed his lost friend.

 

 

"Ma'am if I may add something, I'd like to inform you on the plan those Fledglings made" Mr. H replied

 

 

"I am already aware of their plan…you know as well as I do that it won't work, that you're sending these Human Souls to their death. Your job, your first priority, is to look after the Composer of Shibuya. Not these children…it is impossible to save Neku." she said darkly

 

 

"But you saw them madam, they became angels. so who knows what is the impossible anymore? What if there's a cure to save demons but we never searched for it." Mr. H cried

 

 

"alright….let's say by some miracle that Neku is brought back that his friends save him. He still broke one of our laws and on top of that it was one of the most important rules we created. His mother knows that there is life after death, seeing her son proved it to her." she said sternly

 

 

"The human mind is weak and fragile, it can only handle so much before crossing into insanity. If more humans knew of our existence instead of being kept guessing about it, they'd all become so steep in insanity that homicide would spread bring the humans to extinction. If Neku is saved…he will face the ultimate punishment. It is the only way to protect the Higher Plane." she replied

 

 

One of the male Maestros then approached Joshua

 

 

"as a Composer, a Death God, you know what his fate is correct?" he asked

 

 

Joshua then let out a devilish smile

 

 

"Yes…I do sir. I was hoping it wasn't going to come to that, especially since I do love to mess with Neku….but it seems the situation is out of my hands." Joshua replied

 

 

 

"Boss?" Mr. H thought "You really want to do it? You can deny it all you want but I know Neku is your friend Josh. You spared an entire city because of him. He trusts you…you ARE his friend…and you still want to do this to him?"

 

 

Joshua then picks up on his Angel's saddened thoughts

 

"Well it's not like I _want_ to do this. after all, Neku has such an interesting and creative mind. But I sadly have no choice, Higher Ups' orders. Their authority overpowers mine. I rule Shibuya, they rule the afterlife. As punishment for Neku breaking the most important law of the Higher Plane… he will be on trial. That is… if we don't have to kill him" Joshua replied


	8. Mind Games

The Maestros then told Joshua that he was right, that he would have to take his Proxy's afterlife in the invasion or put him on trail should he somehow become a Human Soul again. Mr. H sadly knew he had no choice but to agree to these terms alongside Joshua. They were then dismissed to the Composer district once again however before Mr. H left he told them about his observations about Joshua.

 

 

 

"He seems to be doing better. Sure the kid's still a twisted, sarcastic, and sometimes crazy young man, but deep down is a good kid. He was going to destroy Shibuya because he felt like the humans there were too influenced by the city to become better people." the Guardian added

 

 

 

" As you all know, this then caused me to have to interfere with the Game…he…he was really gonna do it. I hoped it hadn't come to that, that maybe his time with Phones made him appreciate humans more…and in a way I think it did. Mr. H announced

 

 

 

"I'm aware that he was only in the game to protect his Proxy and strengthen his mind, but…he related to his Proxy and understood Neku's views in society. I think since they had so much in common, and how in addition to this, Neku had made a friend that he could relate too, that Joshua spared Shibuya for him." he contunied

 

 

 

"Neku truly sees him as a friend to the point he couldn't bring himself to shoot Joshua. So…do you really think he could do it? That he could commence with Neku's punishment?" he asked one of the Maestros

 

 

"he has too." one of the male Maestros replied

 

 

"Should the little boy somehow be saved by a miracle, that his friends actually save the boy and doesn't have to be killed, then Neku Sakuraba must go on trial for his crime and pay for his misdeed." he said sharply

 

 

Mr. H then sighed and scratched his head

 

 

"Don't worry Sanae, the trail will only happen if he survives, which we all know won't happen. You know what to do if he attempts to take over the Higher Plane?" he asked

 

 

Mr. H then kneeled to the Maestro

 

 

"Of course sir. An Angel is a warrior meant to fight for the Higher Ups, a soldier who protects all forms of energy, but especially the Composer, the God of Death I'm assigned to protect. But I am a fallen Guardian Angel, I must pay for my crimes and one day hope you can forgive me." Mr. H replied

 

 

"at ease Sanae" the male Maestro replied

 

 

Mr. H then rose to his feet

 

 

"it's true that you've broken many rules, but… you are one of our best Angels. You're extremely fast and strong and have protected us many times, and you and your best friend, the Composer of Shibuya, make an excellent team in battle, and it's that reason alone that's kept you from playing our Game." The Head Maestro added

 

 

"It will take time, but we are considering revoking your label as a criminal and giving you your previous ranking back, allowing you to be at your full power and remove all restrictions we had in place for you. With it, you will be able to roam in the RG again freely, have no more restricted areas, and monitor humans to your leisure…since after all, there IS another job you have on earth correct?" Aiden said with a smile

 

 

Mr. H then smiled knowing what the Maestro meant…his job as CAT.

 

 

"Heh heh. Yes I do sir" Mr. H replied

 

 

Mr. H is then dismissed to the Composer district to see Joshua in his typical laid back, yet snobby attitude. He had his hands in his back pockets yet again with a smug little smile.

 

 

"so…what'd they say?" Joshua asked

 

 

Mr. H then chuckled

 

 

"Heh heh oh you know how dramatic they can get…they were just reminding me that…

 

 

He then became very serious

 

 

"that I'd have to kill Phones in the Invasion and that if his friends somehow save him, that he'll go on trial. Joshua…you know what happens when a Fledgling…especially when they're a Higher Mind and on top of that, are chosen to be a Composer's Proxy, go through when they're on trial. The Higher Minds, having such a strong imagination, have great expectations from the Higher Ups when they come here…and you know what happens when you get on a Maestros bad side." Mr. H replied darkly

 

 

Joshua then sighed and crossed his arms.

 

 

"yes I know…" he replied

 

 

"I know you and Phones didn't exactly hit it off right from the start, and how on top of that being in the presence of your Composer energy caused him to feel unsafe and almost afraid around you. In addition to this your energy effected him physically too, you made him want to give up." Mr. H added

 

 

"what's your point Mr. H?" Joshua asked pulling back his hair

 

 

"My point is… you know when they go to save Neku that they'll need you. They can only handle so much. I tried to make them as powerful as I could with them being Angels, but it would take years in the RG's time for them to have my level of experience, and we don't have that kind of time. You know you need to take responsibility for him since he's your Proxy, and because of your actions, you made him stronger. I need you to do me a favor in regards to Phones. Do you really care about him? Do you really care that he's gone insane? Think about it" he said sternly

 

 

Joshua then let out his icy laugh

 

 

"Oh don't worry Mr. H, I will" the Composer replied

 

 

They looked into the Fledgling district to see Beat teaching Shiki hand to hand to hand combat, from upper cuts (something Shiki already knew) to advanced techniques like combining their punches and kicks to make a more effective combo, to even more aggressive attacks, including tackling the opponent.

 

 

She knew how strong Beat was and because of this was very cautious and looked for an opening

 

 

"Now!" she thought

 

 

Shiki then did a spinning sweep like kick beneath Beat's legs causing him to fall to the ground. She then pounced on Beat wrapping her legs around him and prepared to punch him in the face.

 

 

Shiki then looked at him and smiled

 

 

Causing Rhyme to look in shock

 

 

"how's that?" Shiki asked

 

 

"Heh heh, not bad yo! That was tight!" Beat said smiling impressed with how fast Shiki's caught on.

 

 

"Damn…. Who woulda thought that Shiki could be soooo tough yo?" Beat thought

 

 

It was then Rhyme's turn.

 

 

Taking full advantage of her agility she would run and slide past Beat knocking down her brother…

 

 

"huh? Beat did you go easy on me? Rhyme asked shocked that she was able to knock him down

 

 

"ha ha well of course yo! I can't go hurtin' you Rhyme!" Beat replied

 

 

Rhyme then giggled and extended her hand out to her brother to help him up.

 

 

Shiki couldn't help but smile seeing how happy they make each other.

 

 

"Neku" she thought "Me, Beat and Rhyme… we're gonna do all we can for you to be happy again. So…we can have little moments like this again"

 

 

"Hey guys I think we should take a break. We don't want to over load ourselves" she said cheerfully

 

 

They then smiled back at her

 

 

"Heh heh good idea" Rhyme replied

 

 

Beat then looked at Shiki with shock

 

 

"BWAAAAGH! What?! Hell no! we gotta get stronger yo! We got no time to waste yo!" he roared

 

 

Shiki then sighed

 

 

"Beat we need to take things slow remember? Plus there's the invasion, if it happens, Neku will be in Higher Plane territory. We'll have the upper hand. We have to do this for him." she said scoldingly

 

 

Beat then clasped his shoulder and let out a frustrated groan

 

 

"Damn…I…I know Shiki I jus' hate da thought of Phones losing his mind yo! What kinda life is dat?" he said sadly

 

 

"Beat… we just have to believe in the abilities we all have now, with Mr. H's Angel Energy in us and with Shiki's Imprinting I'm sure we'll be able to save him. I know we'll save him." Rhyme said cheerfully

 

 

Beat then smiled at his sister

 

 

"heh heh you always jus' know what to say Rhyme" he said smiling

 

 

The three friends then couldn't help but smile at each other and laugh. Truly without Rhyme they'd all be lost. She has a kind and almost tender sort of personality, always wanting to see people happy and giving advice when needed. Especially to her hot headed brother and although she may not have realized it, her Angel form feeds off of the kindness of her Soul making her a sort of magnet. That whenever someone is within her presence they can't help but feel happy.

 

 

They then went inside the house to finally have a moment of peace to relax and let their energy flow peacefully.

 

 

As this happened in the Higher Plane, Damien beings to wonder when he should go "talk" to the Angels and Composers. He's also very satisfied with the how preoccupied the Maestros are with dealing with Neku's fate.

 

 

He then smiled and told his Watchman Izawa his decision.

 

 

Pleased with his steady approach Izawa then proceeds to tell the servants, Scouters and Heathens the new phase in Damien's plan.

 

 

The Demon Lord then sat on his chair and began to think of the details for the next phase in his plan.

 

 

"Alright" he thought "I've managed to make them fear me…I can sense even with the happiness they feel that, the images they saw, the fact that I killed Fledglings with one hit…is still tearing them apart. Sure they hide it from one another but still. I feel like I should get to know my enemies a bit better…"

 

 

He then generated another apple for him to eat and took a bite

 

 

Damien chewed it slowly as he began to wonder what to do next.

 

 

"Hmmm, what should I do with these little inferior Souls?" he thought

 

 

Upon swallowing his apple and drinking his wine Damien then finally had the answer.

 

 

He then smiled thrilled with the idea. Damien then decided that he needs to go for a little trip and told his Watchman to keep an eye on things for him yet again.

 

 

Damien then teleports himself to the Higher Plane lowering his power to the exact same amount he did when he killed the Fledglings. He then dissolved his body into black smoke and flew around the house Beat Shiki and Rhyme were in picking up on their thoughts.

 

 

He was very pleased with how they were all terrified of having to face him. They had confidence in their Angel abilities but were aware of how much the odds were against them…and worst of all, they knew Neku was suffering. That the person they once knew was trapped in his sadness, afraid of facing the world, afraid of being hurt again.

 

 

Although they were finally enjoying themselves, Beat Shiki and Rhyme suddenly felt nervous and unsafe.

 

 

"Good" Damien thought "they're reacting to my presence"

 

 

"Is…is someone here!?" Shiki thought

 

 

"Beat…you feel it too right?" she asked urgently

 

 

"Yeah…it's like somthin's watchin' us yo." he replied trying to hide his fear

 

 

"I…I feel that too" Rhyme replied

 

 

She then felt her eyes water

 

 

Noticing this, Beat then felt like they should leave Shiki's room to investigate if they're really being watched.

 

 

"yo guys, let's bounce. We gotta see if somthin's really followin' us." he said sharply

 

 

"good idea" Rhyme replied

 

 

"yeah…we should see if it's…him" Shiki added in weakly

 

 

Over hearing the conversation Damien evaporates his black misty like form into the air.

 

 

They phase through each part of the house. When they finally leave, they're shocked to not see Damien there…they all felt deep down that it had to have been him.

 

 

"Do you think…he was here? That it was Neku?" Shiki asked weakly

 

 

Beat then scratched his head before answering her

 

 

"man I dunno. But knowin' how creepy that Demon Witch made him, I don't doubt it yo."

 

 

Shiki then squeezed Mr. Mew and sighed

 

 

"At least he's not here" she said filled with relief

 

 

They then decided to walk around Shibuya to try to take their minds off of Damien

 

 

He then pursues them with his black mist form again.

 

 

By doing so the three friends suddenly walk at a faster pace feeling uneasy.

 

 

Their tension grew and grew out of fear, especially with Shiki. They all walked urgently with her glancing left and right trying to see if someone's walking towards her. She knew if she had a pulse that her heart would be pounding right now. She was terrified. They walked more and more eventually bursting into a run, until they came to an abrupt stop and spun around….to see nothing.

 

 

By now Shiki had had enough.

 

 

"COME OOOOOOOOOOOOOUT!" she roared

 

 

She then felt tears stream down her face as she squeezed Mr. Mew tightly

 

 

"Where are you?" she whimpered

 

 

"Shiki stop!" Rhyme cried "What if this presence we're feeling really is Neku's demon form? We don't want to face him with our emotions out of control like this. We need to be careful."

 

 

Shiki then looked at her in shock realizing she was right.

 

 

The moment she did this Damien backed off seeing how all three of them were now more at ease. However he was pleased with the information he's learned…Shiki's fear of having to hurt her friend…having to hear him scream in pain. It was something they all feared, but she feared it the most still feeling a little guilty, wishing that she had used the Angel energy correctly at the time Neku really needed her.

 

 

She then took a deep breath and sighed

 

 

"you're right Rhyme…I…I just…I can't take this!" she cried

 

 

"He could kill us at any time! He could kill us right now if he wanted to, so why is he making us wait!? I'm not saying I want him to come here, but…I…I hate feeling so unsure, so….paranoid…I feel so unsafe and--

 

 

She then feels someone's hand clasp her right shoulder. She then looked to her right to see Beat…with his eyes watering

 

 

"yo Shiki…I…I don't know how were gonna save him…anything can happen you know?…but I swear…for Neku man…I'mma bring him back yo! You, me, Rhyme and Phones, it'll be like old times…and I'mma make sure nothin' happens to you Shiki! Count on that yo!" he said strongly

 

 

Shiki then couldn't help but blush

 

 

"Make sure…that nothing happens to me? Beat…where's this coming from?" she asked awkwardly

 

 

He then smiled at her

 

 

"Neku of course. You really mean a lot to him yo. It was to the point that back when you were controlled by the Red Skull pin, I was gonna try to beatchu up yo, to knock you out cause were tryin' to kill us, and when you were about to attack Phones from behind, he screamed at me not to touch you." he said happily

 

 

"even when you were tryin' to hurt us yo, he hated the idea to havin' to hurt you…so when you tried to attack him from behind, I got infront of Phones and took the hit."

 

 

"wh…WHAT!? I attacked you?" Shiki cried flailing her arms

 

 

She then felt a little embarrassed and held Mr. Mew against her chest

 

"I…I don't even remember that happening…I guess that's the O-pin's side effect huh?"

 

 

"Neku…" she said sadly "He never told me that part of the Reapers' Game. The most he said was that the Red Skull pin took over me, but that him and Beat made me okay again…I guess he didn't want me to have to deal with the fact that I almost hurt him…heh heh…to think…now it's all in reverse. He's the one possessed by some overwhelming power, and now he's the one that's gonna try to hurt us."

 

 

"Yeah but…we'll be there for Neku, just like how he's been there for us." Rhyme replied smiling

 

 

"Thanks guys…I…I feel better. Heh heh." Shiki said weakly

 

 

"heh heh no problem yo." Beat answered happily.

 

 

 

They then decided it was best to go back and relax at the house again.

 

 

As this happened Damien returned to the Demon Realm to inform Izawa on the fears his enemies felt and was also pleased to tell him that it gave him another idea to mess with the Human Souls when they come to confront him.

 

 

"So what do you think of it Izawa? Twisted enough?" Damien asked

 

 

"Oh why yes sir! I'm sure the girl will be extremely disturbed and confused when you do that. It's such a brilliant way to mess with her head before killing her." Izawa replied

 

 

Damien then smiled revealing his shark teeth

 

 

"I'm glad you're so fond of it…you know…I almost want to initiate that part of my plan sooner, you know how I love to mess with Human Souls. They're so weak. but I'm afraid I'll have to be patient is all. After all if I do even one thing out of place, the entire plan could fall apart. I need to handle this…..slowly." he replied slyly

 

 

 

"an excellent strategy sir. You've put so much thought and precision into this plan that I'd be deeply saddened if it fell apart. I must say, out of all the Demon Lords and Mistresses we've had in the past, you seem the most ambitious, yet cautious at the same time. You're very subtle and keen. Very fine traits to have sir." Izawa replies

 

 

"Heh heh, you certainly have a way with words Izawa. That's why out of all the demons here I trust you and my servants the most. I know I can count on you all. Sure you were Clarissa's Watchman before me…but you seem to adjust rather well to how a Demon Lord or Mistress handles the job." Damien replies

 

 

 

"centuries of practice sir." the Watchman said laid back

 

 

 

"well…I'm impressed…" Damien replies with his hands in his pockets. "you may be excused Watchman"

 

 

"thank you sir." Izawa replied

 

 

He then dissolved into black smoke and left Damien's room.

 

 

Damien then summoned his servants once more and decided to have Akemi's tea once again and Hikaru gently combed his hair. After thanking them for their efforts of making him feel relaxed, they were then excused as well, the servants leave happy that they made Damien feel so content.

 

 

He then resumed his plan of observing his enemies. Damien waved his hand in a slow sweeping motion and created a portal to the Composer district where he analyzed Mr. H and Joshua.

 

 

He sipped his grape tasting wine once more. Pleased with how uneasy Mr. H was as he flew in the Composer district dealing with many conflicts.

 

 

As Damien watched over the Composer and Mr. H, Clarissa watched over Neku in his mind.

 

 

"You haven't called on me in a while" she said sadly "do you not like me anymore?"

 

 

Neku was still curled up into a ball on his bed filled with grief and sorrow

 

 

"N…no it's not that." he replied weakly

 

 

"It's just…I feel…helpless. I can't do anything…I…I hate feeling so…. unsure. sometimes I just…wish that I didn't feel this…that I could just be with my family again. As much as I hate Shibuya…I…I at least had them I guess. But even my parents would make feel alone. I wasn't sure what to think anymore…until I met you."

 

 

She then appeared as black smoke before turning into human form and sat on the right half of the bed with her back facing him.

 

 

 

"then please Neku…please don't push me away. I want to be your friend." she said sweetly

 

 

 

"yeah…I know." he replied

 

 

 

He then uncurled himself and sat up on the bed.

 

 

Clarissa then looked over her right shoulder smiling at him.

 

 

She then turned towards him.

 

 

"Do you want some more?" she asked kindly

 

 

"yeah…I want to be strong enough to where I don't feel this." Neku replied weakly

 

 

"Okay then I'll start now" she said smiling

 

 

Clarissa then placed her hand on Neku's back causing him to cringe from the pain, and squeeze his bed sheets.

 

 

"Nnnnnngh! It's….it's burning…me!" he said through his teeth.

 

 

"I know sweety but this is the only way remember that." Clarissa reminded him.

 

 

She then put even more force on Neku's back beginning to burn a hole in his shirt.

 

 

"AAAAAH!" he screamed

 

 

"Clarissa what…what are you doing?" he said weakly

 

 

"I need to increase the energy a bit more so you can absorb a greater amount Neku." she replied

 

 

"I need to be careful though…if I overload him with my power, he'll die. Part of my plan is to keep him here, not kill him." she thought

 

 

Neku then screamed some more from the intense pain.

 

 

"it… it hurts…I…I don't think I can handle…this." he thought

 

 

Eventually the pain was so intense that Neku began to cry.

 

 

"stop…stop this." he said just beyond a whisper

 

 

"Okay…I will." Clarissa said sweetly

 

 

She then removed her hand from his back listening him pant from exhaustion.

 

 

"I'll let you rest okay Neku?" Clarissa told him

 

 

"…Okay" he replied

 

 

Clarissa then vanished into thin air once more keeping an invisible eye on him.

 

 

Neku then felt so weak that he fell onto the bed landing on his back.

 

 

"Nngh!" he grunted

 

 

"that energy….it's so strong…it…it hurts me but…I…I need it. This will make me stronger, I just need to endure it…right?" he thought

 

 

His eyes then felt extremely heavy, he was barely able to keep them open and eventually drifted into unconsciousness.

 

 

Although Neku hadn't realized it, Clarissa was winning, getting exactly what she wanted from him…to trust her.

 

 

 

 

To be continued...


	9. Mind Games (Part 2)

 

As Beat, Shiki and Rhyme all wonder about what Damien would do next, he began to initiate the second part of his plan. Satisfied with how well stalking his prey went before he decided to do that once again. However he decided to do a little imprinting on his enemies, sending them visions of what could happen to them…

 

 

 

 

 

In an attempt to not think about Neku's next plan as a Demon, Shiki taught Beat and Rhyme how to create things with their mind, just like how Neku had taught her. In doing so Beat and Rhyme learned how to make their house making them now neighbors with Shiki. They all relaxed in their houses trying to rest and not worry about what might happen to them.

 

 

 

 

However, as they did this, Damien thought it would be a good idea to let them "see" their fate while they're relaxed to catch them by surprise. He kept his energy low once more and sent them all his vision, feeding off of the fears of his prey.

 

 

 

 

 

He first starts off with Beat, at the time he was walking out of the house getting ready to practice some of his favorite tricks on his skateboard when at that moment felt a head ache.

 

 

 

 

"Nngh! Damn…what's goin' on yo?" Beat thought

 

 

 

 

At that moment he was then caught in Damien's vision.

 

 

 

 

_Beat sees his former friend in his throne chair smiling at him._

 

 

 

_He then gets up and begins to walk over to Beat._

 

 

 

_"Neku man…you gotta stop this yo. I know you're there." Beat says in the vision_

 

 

 

_"heh heh, why do you look so nervous Beat? Have you been in a situation like this before?" Damien asked smiling_

 

 

 

 

_"Is dis….what I put Phones through? When I was a Reaper, I had to kill him yo. Is dis why Phones held back da first time he fought me? Neku man…I'm sorry…" he thought_

 

 

 

 

_Beat then lets out a frustrated growl in the vision_

 

 

 

_"DAMMIT YO! YOU GOTTA STOP DIS! I AIN'T GONNA FIGHT YOU PHONES!" he roared_

 

 

 

 

_"Oh really? I thought you wanted to pound the demon witch out of me." Damien replied quoting him_

 

 

 

 

_"Watchu say? …you… you've been spyin' on me?" Beat replied nervously_

 

 

 

 

_Damien then teleports a few feet away from Beat._

 

 

 

 

_"well of course, keep your friends close and your enemies closer…now then, let's see what you can do." he replied_

 

 

 

 _"BACK OFF YO!"_ _Beat yelled. He then attempted to punch Damien in the face only to have it blocked by his right hand._

 

 

 

_"what? How did you--_

 

 

 

 

_Damien then electrocutes Beat with Red Demon energy causing him to scream in pain before getting recoiled slamming his body against the ground._

 

 

 

 

_"What's wrong Beat? Surely you can do better then this, especially since I just used my weakest form of energy." Damien said tauntingly_

 

 

 

 

_Beat then starred at Damien with horror as he noticed he was paralyzed by the Demon Lord's energy…completely defenseless._

 

 

 

 

_As Beat saw Damien walk closer to him in the vision, a lone tear streamed down his left cheek knowing that he was about to die in the vision._

 

 

 

_He saw himself scream in pain as Damien engulfed him in a dome of black Demon Energy and saw the dome become a pillar of the energy and sent it down to Beat. It filled him with so much pain that green orbs appeared around him._

 

 

 

_"Just a bit more" Damien thought_

 

 

 

 

_Beat then saw himself get suspended in the air as Damien chocked him with his right hand and electrocuted him again._

 

 

 

_It was so intense that Beat's energy leaked out of him…Damien then shot black demon fire at Beat with his left hand. Beat was in so much pain in the vision that his body became white outlined in green._

 

 

 

 

_At that moment Damien dropped him onto the ground._

 

 

 

_"ain't….ain't you gonna…finish…me?" Beat whispered_

 

 

 

_"Nope, I'd rather simply watch the show end." Damien said slyly_

 

 

 

_He then walked over to his throne chair. Damien then held his hand out to Beat pulling him closer to him, to get a better view at his pain. He wanted to watch Beat suffer._

 

 

 

 

_All Beat could do was look towards the ceiling watching white orbs outlined in green fly towards it. He then looked at is hands seeing them white outlined in green._

 

 

 

 

_"so…I guess…I couldn't pound dat witch outta ya Phones…Neku…I…I wanna be you're friend again…I wanna…be there…for you…again…why? Why…couldn't you…break free yo?…Neku…I'm…sorry." he thought._

 

 

 

 

_He then looked at Damien crying, wishing that he could see his friend one last time…to see Neku…and not the person who killed him._

 

 

 

_"Neku…I…I'll see you again…right?"_

 

 

 

_As Beat whispered his last words to Damien who merely smiled evilly at him. He then dissolved into his energy and faded into thin air._

 

 

 

_The vision finally ended._

 

 

 

He couldn't believe what he had seen. Beat then fell to his knees crying…he was so scared, yet sad for Neku that he was sobbing.

 

 

 

 

Noticing this from her bedroom window Rhyme then phased through the room and ran to her brother.

 

 

 

 

 

"Beat what's wrong!?" she cried

 

 

 

 

 

She then ran up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder

 

 

 

 

"Beat?" she repeated

 

 

 

 

He was in shock all Beat could do was stare straight in front of him, almost as if he didn't notice Rhyme at all.

 

 

 

 

"he…he killed me yo…Neku man…it's…it's so much worse den I thought. I thought dat Phones was just crazy as a Demon, like he wanted to beat people up yo. …but he's…he's like some…emotionaless robot…he has no heart yo. …he was smiling, like it was fun watchin' me die." he replied with a broken voice

 

 

 

 

"Beat…it…it wasn't real…Neku's messing with your head. He's trying to scare you." Rhyme replied hurt

 

 

 

 

"but…it worked yo…how da hell are we suppose to save him? It's like he don't even care as a demon Rhyme!…Neku…Phones…he's really gone." he said heart broken.

 

 

 

 

"Beat no… Don't talk like that. We…we have to save Neku." she said weakly

 

 

 

 

Rhyme then feels a tear go down her right cheek

 

 

 

 

"we have to" she insisted

 

 

 

 

She then helped her brother get to his feet.

 

 

 

 

"come on Beat, let's go back" she said sadly

 

 

 

 

"yeah…" he replied

 

 

 

 

They then went back inside their house to go and relax again, and try to forget about the vision Beat had.

 

 

 

 

 hen they finally went back to their rooms, everything was peaceful. Beat and Rhyme both laid on their beds trying to relax. As they did this, Rhyme then had a headache.

 

 

 

 

 

"Nngh! …my head" she said weakly sitting up on her bed

 

 

 

 

 

_She too was now caught in Damien's vision._

 

 

 

_She sees herself crying over Beat's death showing how the visions are intertwined. Wishing that she had him back she began to scream at the demon._

 

 

 

_"WHY!? WHY DID YOU DO THIS!?"_

 

 

 

_"oh no reason really. I just want you all out of my way" Damien said coyly_

 

 

 

_"so…now that…that you killed my brother what are you going to do?" she asked weakly_

 

 

 

_"why let you join him of course" he replied_

 

 

 

_"NO! I'm going to bring you back Neku!" she screamed_

 

 

 

_"you? You think you can honestly save him? Heh heh you don't stand a chance little girl." Damien chuckled_

 

 

 

_She then closed her eyes and with a snap of her fingers she went into her Angel form._

 

 

 

_"now I'll stop you Neku!"_

 

 

 

_After yelling this to him, she then flew towards him charging up an orb only to have Damien break it._

 

 

 

_"what? How did you--_

 

 

 

_He then punched her in the stomach, grabbed her face and threw her into the air._

 

 

 

 

_She recovered by using her Angel wings to gain balance however, the moment she did this, he then punched her in the face sending her flying towards the ground._

 

 

 

_The moment she made impact she was powering down to her Enlightened form._

 

 

 

_Pleased with her fatigue Damien then began to walk towards her_

 

 

 

_"you see? Your friend is gone…no one can save him. Neku Sakuraba…is no more." he said smiling_

 

 

 

_She then picks herself off the ground and charges up orange yellow energy around her, preparing to launch herself at Damien in the vision._

 

 

 

_"YOU TAKE THAT BACK! NEKU ISN'T GOOOONE!" she screamed_

 

 

 

_As she flew towards him Damien then grabbed her by the neck and electrocuted her causing her to scream in pain._

 

 

 

_She was then recoiled into the air and smashed herself onto the ground._

 

 

 

 

_At that moment she then returned to her Fledgling form._

 

 

 

 

_He then proceeded to walk over to Rhyme and generated black lightning in his right hand._

 

 

 

 

_As Rhyme watches the boy walk closer in the vision, her eyes began to water as she saw how helpless she was against Neku's Demon form._

 

 

 

 

_As Rhyme laid on the floor broken, and filled with pain, she whispered something to Neku's Demon form._

 

 

 

 

_"Neku….Please…please…stop"_

 

 

 

_Damien then leaned down to her and picked up Rhyme by the neck and began to choke her with his left hand and shot the demon lightning at her with his right hand._

 

 

 

_She then lets out a pain filled scream as she begins to cry of the immense pain._

 

 

 

_He then lets Rhyme fall to the ground_

 

 

 

 

_Now being overwhelmed with fatigue all she could do was lay there wheezing in pain as she watched her former friend walk closer to her._

 

 

 

 

_He then generates a pillar of red Demon energy with is right hand. He began to smile at Rhyme seeing her energy leak out of her._

 

 

 

_Just like with all Demons, the moment he saw her energy, he knew everything about her. Even to something as simple as her name._

 

 

 

_"Goodbye Raimu" he said quietly_

 

 

 

_She then looked at him with her eyes watering._

 

 

 

_"Raimu? He knows my name…but how? …Neku…Neku please don't…" she thought_

 

 

 

_The demonic boy then lowered his hand sending the immense amount of energy into her causing her to instantly dissolve into her energy until only white orbs outlined in orange remained…before they too, dissolved into thin air. With her vision finally at the end_

 

 

 

"NO!" she screamed

 

 

 

 

Rhyme then was brought to tears with her hands covering her face filled with sadness from the vision.

 

 

 

Just like with Beat, Rhyme had seen what a monster Neku had become, how he had no problem with killing his former friends.

 

 

 

 

 

Now it was finally Shiki's turn. Damien knew he had to make her's especially gruesome knowing how much she cares for Neku.

 

 

 

 

 

She was in her room wondering what he was doing. She began to remember her time with him, both in the UG and RG.

 

 

 

 

"Neku…you've gotta come back to us…Please. You have to. If Clarissa's made it impossible for you to get out. If she made you lose your way…then I'll find you. Please…come back."

 

 

 

 

She then remembers all the things they went through in the game, and how she told him how worthless she felt, how she thought Eri just got tired of her and didn't want to be around her.

 

 

 

 

This hurtful memory made a tear go down her face.

 

 

 

 

However, she then remembered what Neku told her in response to her sadness:

 

 

 

 

" oh would you cut the crap!? Just who exactly are you? You're YOU. You're not your friend and you never will be, you need to live out your own life. If she can do it than so can you. And you should be glad that you were jealous, jealousy gives you something to shoot for. So… shoot."

 

 

 

 

"that's right…jealousy let's me analyze what I may be lacking in, and try to better myself…you taught me that Neku…and…that I should like myself…cause you like me the way I am." she thought smiling at his kind words

 

 

 

 

However as she laid in her bed with Mr. Mew laying next to her, to the left of the bed, she then felt a sharp pain in her head.

 

 

 

 

"Nngh! My head…why do I have a headache?" she thought

 

 

 

 

She then opened her eyes to see Damien's vision.

 

 

 

 

Shiki, just like with Beat and Rhyme, was in his throne room. Due to how their visions are linked, she was now reacting to Beat and Rhyme's death.

 

 

 

 

" _NOOOOOOOOO! Neku…why? Why are you doing this!? Please…stop" she cried_

 

 

 

_"But why? I find this fun. Fledglings are so weak and powerless, so…why should they excist?" Damien replied_

 

 

 

 

 

_"WHAT!? How can you say that? Fledglings are Human Souls, the energy that allows us to excist. How can something that special be worthless?" she exclaimed_

 

 

 

_"it's simple really, you little souls are still mentally human. You're still slaves to your emotions, once a Human Soul becomes an Enlighten, or, if they are very powerful, an Angel or Composer, they have more control over what they feel." Damien replied smiling_

 

 

 

_"for instance" he added "I know that that little cat thing your holding must mean a lot to you doesn't it?"_

 

 

 

_Damien then began to walk closer to Shiki making her feel nervous._

 

 

 

_"Mr. Mew? What…what are you--_

 

 

_He then teleports inches away from Shiki and takes Mr. Mew away from her._

 

 

 

_He then stabs the toy with his claws, impailing it by tearing a hole through its back and stomach causing cotton to spew out of the toy._

 

 

 

_Damien then pulls his hand out of the toy and let's go of Mr. Mew only to catch it by its head. He then squeezes Mr. Mew to make its head fly off spewing more cotton out of it._

 

 

 

_Shiki then gasped as she felt her face dampen with tears._

 

 

 

_"Neku…does he really not remember my toy? Is he really that far gone?" she thought_

 

 

 

_She then began to back away from him_

 

 

 

_Damien then throws the toy away and walked towards Shiki again._

 

 

 

_"Now…I wonder how well you'll fight without your little toy." he said smiling_

 

 

_He then slashed Shiki in the face sending her crashing towards the ground. As she began to get to her feet, he then shot black Demon lightning at her, causing Shiki to let out a scream of pain._

 

 

 

_"AAAAAAAH!"_

 

 

 

_She then laid on the floor overwhelmed with pain._

 

 

 

_Smiling at her anguish Damien walked closer to her and charged red demon energy and shot it at her as fire, causing her to scream again._

 

 

 

_Receiving both of those powerful attacks Shiki had scratches on her body and face with holes in her green shirt._

 

 

 

_She then curled up into a ball wheezing in pain, and coughed up a pink orb._

 

 

 

_"I…I have to help him." she thought_

 

 

 

_Shiki then attempted to absorb energy to become an Angel, but she was too weak._

 

 

 

_"no…Neku…" she whispered_

 

 

 

_Shiki was filled with horror watching the vision and began to cry seeing Neku's Demon Lord form smile as he walked to her weakened body._

 

 

 

_"apparently I overestimated you. Did you really think that you could save your friend? That you could actually save Neku? Heh heh, foolish. Very foolish. He was doomed to become what he is now…me. You and your little friends all believed in the illusion that you could save him, it was nothing more than a hopeful dream…_

 

 

 

_He then picked up Shiki from the ground and began to choke her_

 

 

 

_"…and it's time you wake up." he said darkly_

 

 

 

_Damien then revealed his shark teeth smiling at Shiki's pain._

 

 

 

_"P--Please…Neku…don't" she said weakly_

 

 

 

_With her eyes half open from fatigue she then began to cry realizing that Neku was lost. That he was stuck like this forever._

 

 

 

_"Neku…please…come…back" she said wishing he could hear her._

 

 

 

_"Neku can't hear you…anymore." Damien replied smiling at her helplessness_

 

 

 

_He then placed his finger on her lips_

 

 

 

 

_"Shhhh. It's all over. There's no need to talk now" he said softly_

 

 

 

_Damien then electrocuted Shiki causing her to scream at the top of her lungs in pain, until she met the same fate as Beat and Rhyme._

 

 

 

_Before fading away she tried to reach him one last time…_

 

 

 

_"Neku….I'm so sorry" she whispered_

 

 

 

_She then dissolved into pink orbs in the air and eventually dissolved into the air with her vision ending._

 

 

 

"NOOOOOO!" she then began to cry and curled into a ball and let her tears fall on her bed.

 

 

 

 _"_ Neku….is Clarissa making you send these visions to us? Do you want us to die? ….no….he…he's not this weak…but, what if as the Demon Lord he tries to kill us in the invasion. What if he wins? What'll happen to Mr. H and Joshua?" she thought with grief.

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile in the Demon realm Damien sensed the pain all of them felt and was very pleased with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

As Damien monitors them through a portal in his throne room, Clarissa pours more of her energy in Neku, amplifying his hate and mistrust towards people, and hurting him even more causing him to pant from the intense pain.

 

 

 

 

"I don't want to open up to people ever" he tells Clarissa

 

 

 

 

"and you don't have to. As long as we're friends, I won't let anyone hurt you" she says sweetly.

 

 

 

 

"thanks" he says weakly

 

 

 

 

"don't mention it. Now get some rest Neku. I don't want to overwhelm you with my energy." she added smiling at him.

 

 

 

"yeah…good idea" he added

 

 

 

She then dissolves into the darkness of the room to observe Neku.

 

 

 

"CAT's art, my passion for music, and now Clarissa. As long as I have these things…why should I open up my world? I'm fine living the way I am…away from everyone" he thought


	10. Mind Games (Part 3)

The three friends all mourn over Neku's insanity. For a while none of them saw each other and they all stayed in their houses away from one another. Their sadness was so strong, so overwhelming that they felt like giving up. It was something that Joshua noticed as he watched over them and began to wonder if he should help

 

 

Surely if Neku was as far gone as he seemed in the visions and how on top of that, he was able to kill them so easily, that they should do nothing…that it was pointless.

 

 

Damien sensed their turmoil as he relaxed in his throne room and wanted to torture a specific former friend of his, Shiki.

 

 

He knew that he could feed off of the immense guilt she feels, like she let Neku down, like so many of his past friends did. He then decided to feed off of her sadness to show her that she's right, that Neku's transformation is all her fault.

 

 

 

She laid in her bed hugging Mr. Mew trying to take a nap to just not even bother thinking about him. …but she knew deep down that she couldn't do it.

 

 

 

As Shiki closed her eyes she then heard someone call out her name…

 

 

"Shiki" the male voice said

 

 

She then gasped and opened her eyes and sat up on the bed with her back against her pillow

 

 

 

"that sounded like… is he here?" she thought

 

 

"N…Neku?" she said weakly

 

 

"Nope…just me Damien" he replied

 

 

She then clenched her teeth

 

 

"where are you!?" she roared

 

 

"Back…in my home the Demon Realm. I just wanted to talk to you and say thanks for all that you've done for me" Damien said darkly

 

 

"What!? What are you talking about?! Thanking me?!" Shiki cried

 

 

She then looked around hoping what he said was true and that he wasn't hiding somewhere getting ready to attack her.

 

 

"Why yes" Damien continued "you're the one who allowed this transformation to happen. If it wasn't for you failing to use Angel energy properly than I wouldn't be like this"

 

 

(with all the memories of his friends gone, Damien simply put two and two together and said that Shiki was the one that made him become a demon, since he sensed Shiki had Angel energy in her and that she seems to feel guilty, in other words, he made a guess)

 

 

"what? How do you know about that?" Shiki asked

 

 

"Although bits and pieces of my memories are a little…misplaced, it seems I'm able to when I was a human soul I also remember screaming in pain for someone to help me. You ran to my aid…but you failed, and then my mind broke apart" he replied lying to her

 

 

Her eyes then began to water.

 

 

"No…it's really because of me?" Shiki whimpered

 

 

"Yes…it's all thanks to you" he replied

 

 

"But I thought you didn't remember me or any of our friends." She said confused

 

 

"Any of _your_ friends" he corrected her "and yes I don't know you…any of you really. But what I do know, is that you have Angel energy in you and that Angel energy neutralizes Demon energy when the human soul is in the process of the transformation." Damien explained

 

 

"So I'm assuming that you used that energy to try to help me or something….and…that if this really happened due to how I'm uncertain whether or not these memories are real, that you failed." he replied slyly

 

 

 

"So…when you see me again, when we fight each other…I may reconsider your death, and kill you quickly…nice and painless" he added

 

 

Shiki then grabbed Mr. Mew and began to cry.

 

 

"Neku…why? Why don't you remember me?" she said weakly

 

 

But there was no response

 

 

She then began to cry and curled into a ball.

 

 

"it's my fault" Shiki thought "Neku's gone…because of me"

 

 

As Shiki fell deeper into her sadness her neighbors were grieving too.

 

 

Rhyme and Beat both laid in their beds in their rooms filled with grief. As they did, Joshua thought about how they usually aren't like this, making him cross his arms and look down, away from his portal.

 

 

"They're usually so determined to save him...to fight for Neku. This sort of reminds me of those times when Neku gave up in the Reapers' Game and I had to push him forward. If they can't find the strength within themselves to save Neku, then....maybe...just like Neku...they need guidance too. They need someone to help them. Maybe...an Imprint could help" Joshua thought

 

 

At that moment, Joshua snapped his fingers, causing Beat to then to have flashbacks of the UG and remembered how distant Neku was before he became his partner.

 

 

He then remembered his time with him in the RG, how they've become friends…and remembered a time when he went to Neku's house from being frustrated with his parents as another flashback.

 

 

 _"yo man…I …I jus' don' know what to do anymore. It's like my own parents hate me Phones. I jus' don' get it. Why do they get all_ yelly 'n _stuff?"_

_He was sitting on Neku's chair by his computer facing Neku while he laid on his bed_

_"Heh heh, come on Beat, you know deep down that they don't hate you right?" Neku replied_

_"Oh yeah? Then why do they get so mad at me? Everything I do to dem is wrong Phones!" Beat replied angrily_

_Neku then took a deep breath and sighed_

_"Beat, I'm not gonna act like I know what they're thinking, cause I don't but...my guess is, they get mad at you cause they wanna help you. Just like how you'd get pissed at me whenever I'd shut down and not talk to you and Rhyme in the Game remember? They know you in ways I never will." Neku said to his friend_

_"They raised you, took care of you as a kid, and here you are now 15 years old cause of them taking care of you and Rhyme. They… they just want you to have a good life, to be happy.That's why they get angry at the thought of you being lazy or not being able to do anything. At least, that's what I'm guessing." he added_

_"So they push you and yell at you cause they know you can do better.Believe me, my parents drive me crazy too but...they just want the best for you. At least, that's what I think yours does"_

_Beat then looked at Neku in shock_

_"You really think dat's_ _why? how can you be so sure Phones? You ain't got a sister that they love more than they think is better than you."_

_Neku then looked down knowing that Beat's right, he's never had a sibling rivalry and would never know what it's like for his own family to make him feel like he didn't please them_ _like he wasn't good enough for them._

_"Alright, fair enough, you're right. I don't have a younger brother or sister for my parents to compare me to, and...you're not the only one who has parents that make you feel like you're not good enough, like you bother them...I do too." Neku said a little frustrated, making Beat look sad_

_"I know what that feels like, and...I don't have a dream either...But I don't think they were really comparing you to Rhyme… I think they just want you to have the best in life, to have a dream and reach for it." Neku said scratching his head_

_"In other words, it's almost like CAT's motto, they just want you to enjoy the moment. To have the best life possible Beat. My parents put pressure on me too, expecting for things that I just don't have, wanting me to be someone I'm not...especially my dad, but...I know that you can never force someone to change someone's mind."_

_Neku then sits up on his bed and turns towards his friend_

_"Don't let your parents push you around like that, that's not the Beat I know. Remember what I told you? Don't go the distance for others, do it for yourself. whenever you want to go back Beat, and tell them what's on your mind, try to catch them in a good mood so they'll be willing to listen." he said thoughtfully_

_"I know having parents can drive you crazy, and make you feel like no one gets you, I have that issue with my parents too, but…you gotta block that out. No matter what they say to you, all that matters is what you think of yourself."_

_Beat then smiled at his friend. He was glad that Neku was willing to put up with his family issues._

_He then began to scratch his head_

_"Phones, I hate dumpin' all dis on you. You ain't a thurpist_ _or somethin' but…thanks man. I jus' really hate dumpin' this on you man, it ain't right."_

_Neku then crossed his arms_

_"_ Oh _would you cut the crap? You make it sound like it bothers me to give you advice, to try to help you out. We're friends Beat, and…one of the things the Game taught me…is…well…is that friends…help each other right? Just like how you even saved my ass from erasure back then twice…both times I was a few seconds away from losing everything, and you stopped it. You were there for me Beat. So it only makes sense for me there for you too right?"_

_Beat then gets off of Neku's chair and began to walk towards him._

_Neku then gets off of the bed and watched Beat approach him._

_"Huh? Hey Beat what are you--_

_Beat then pulled Neku over to him and gave him a nuggie causing Neku to laugh. Which then caused Beat to smile and laugh along with him._

 

"That's right" Beat thought from remembering the flashback

 

 

"Phones was always there for me yo. He always helped me an' Rhyme and he even gave her advice on makin' a dream. Neku…he's…he IS my friend. He could've jus' gave up on me like so many other people did…but he didn't"

 

 

He then gets up from his bed and cracks his knuckles and grabbed his skateboard.

 

 

 

"Aight, I ain't wastin' no more time yo! I can't jus' be all sad 'n stuff. That ain't gonna bring Phones back!" he thought

 

 

Beat then walked over to the door to Rhyme's room and kicked it open startling his little sister.

 

 

"Come on Rhyme, we're getting' outta here yo!"

 

 

He then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of bed

 

 

"Beat what are you doing?" Rhyme asked startled

 

 

"Gettin' you outta here, we can't give up on Phones yo! I ain't gonna be like his old friends, those punks didn't care about Phones. They let him down, and that ain't gonna be me, you or Shiki! We're gettin' him back, and we'll get stronger as Angels yo!" he replied strongly

 

 

He then carried Rhyme as he skateboarded over to Shiki's house and then ran to her room to find her sitting curled in a ball.

 

 

"Shiki whatchu doin'?!" Beat asked

 

 

"Nothing….nothing at all" Shiki replied dryly

 

 

"an' you think doin' nothin' will save Phones?!" Beat cried

 

 

 

"Beat…it's MY fault, Neku's a monster because of me. I didn't use my Angel energy the right way when he needed me! there's nothing we--

 

 

 

"Nothin'?! Doin' nothin' ain't gonna bring him back Shiki an' so what if you couldn't help Phones with the Angel energy that one time. He still needs you Shiki, we're his friends yo. You really gonna give up on him? Did Phones give up on you?" Beat said sadly

 

 

 

Shiki then uncurled herself and looked at Beat

 

 

"What?! No…I…I don't want to abandon him… I don't want to be like his old friends...and no...Neku never gave up on me!" Shiki screamed

 

 

She then gets off the bed with Mr. Mew hopping on her shoulder

 

 

"heh heh, well then come on yo! Let's get outta here." he told her

 

 

"but where are we gonna go?" Shiki asked

 

 

 

"yeah what are you planning Beat?" Rhyme added

 

 

"Heh, we're gonna go train some more yo! We learned how to become Angels, and how to fly and attack 'n stuff, and we got dat Angel wing boost Mr. H taught us, but we gotta get stronger yo! I ain't stopin' here!" he answered

 

 

Shiki then looked at him and smiled

 

 

"me either" she added

 

at that moment they then looked around as they heard a certain voice

 

 

"If you all just give up, then Neku will remain a monster. I know you're all better than this. Beat, Shiki, Rhyme....he needs you. If you really want to prove your loyalty to him, now is the time to prove it. Give up on yourself and you give up on the world."

 

 

Beat. Shiki, and Rhyme then look at eachother in shock

 

 

"Prissy boy? He wants us to be aight?" Beat said confused

 

Rhyme then smiled

 

"I guess he does. Maybe that's his way of trying to help"  she added

 

Shiki then giggled 

 

 

"yeah...Maybe deep down...Joshua wants to be there for us too" Shiki said happily in her usual giggling gesture

 

 

They then smiled at each other and then Beat and Rhyme then held hands and became Enlightens, Rhyme then held Shiki's hand and caused her to become an Enlighten as well. Shiki then opened a portal in her room which led to the Enlighten realm hoping to find Mr. H there.

 

 

Mr. H however was in the Composer district meditating, trying to pick up on the energy of the Demon Realm. He could sense how powerful Damien was and knew he could kill Shiki, Beat and Rhyme in a matter of seconds.

 

 

As he did this Joshua was in the Higher Ups district once again in the Slaughter room, discussing Neku's fate with them.

 

 

"You know the boy saw you as a friend once" one of the male Maestros remarked

 

 

"You ARE meant to kill humans but they way you handled the Reapers' Game can't go unpunished. Deliberately going to the RG, to kill a human and make him fight for you is against one of our rules. Certainly, you know of the laws of Life and Death, Composer of Shibuya."

 

 

Joshua then smiled at them in his Composer form.

 

 

"why yes, of course I do" he replied

 

 

"In order to preserve the RG and Higher Plane, humans must die so that new humans can be produced, to keep their population in check. The same can be said for the Higher Plane." Joshua's Composer form explained

 

 

"if a Death God killed merely anyone they wished before their destined time of passing, the Higher Plane would overflow with Human Souls causing such an imbalance of energy, that the Higher Plane itself would face permanent destruction. As for my punishment, I thought I already had one… did I not?" he said a little curious

 

 

 

"yes your punishment for that time, was to remain in the Higher Plane and that the Reapers' Game would not run again for a certain amount of time, even if you ran it again that one more time before its cancellation in Shibuya. However in addition to this, your Proxy has gone out of control and you must be punished for that as well." the male Maestro replied

 

 

"Should the boy attempt to conquer the Higher Plane with his little Invasion, you are to kill him. As you are aware from our last meeting. However, Neku Sakuraba is much more sly as a demon. The boy is very intelligent and as a Demon that intelligence has now been twisted and corrupted." he said sternly

 

 

"He can be very unpredictable now and it's because of this, should your Proxy have an alternate plan, like the one the Demon Mistress had for the boy, your punishment is to remain in the Composer district and allow your Angel to handle the boy instead. Forcing you to witness the death of the spirit that could've benefited us." Aiden added

 

 

"You cannot refuse this punishment young Death God. For now, you will only be able to do the basic duty of a Death God until further notice." he added

 

 

"I understand these terms Maestro" Joshua said with a smug smile on his face

 

 

Meanwhile as all this happened in the Higher Plane, Neku was enduring more pain in his mind.

 

 

He unleashed an agonized scream as Clarissa burned him filling him with more energy. The energy was so intense that is not only burnt a whole through his shirt but it began to make his back turn red.

 

 

As the pain worsened Neku began to feel tears stream down his face. He clenched his teeth and begged Clarissa to stop. Being the "friend" that she is, she did as he asked and removed her hand from his back.

 

 

Neku then began to wheeze and pant from the pain and eventually caught his breath allowing his breathing to steady.

 

 

When he finally had control he took a deep breath and sighed

 

 

"Clarissa" he said faintly

 

 

"What's going on outside the door? What's my body doing? Is he getting ready to attack the enemies, the people that want to hurt me?"

 

 

She then looked at him smiling

 

 

"yes Neku, soon all those horrible people, all those spirits that want to mess with you will face his power." she said sweetly

 

 

Neku then felt extremely weak and began to collapse.

 

 

At that moment Clarissa then caught him, causing his head to lay against her chest.

 

 

"are you okay Neku?" she asked sweetly

 

 

"yeah…I…Nngh! I think so" he said weakly

 

 

"good, I'll let you rest then" Clarissa said as she laid him gently on the bed

 

 

"this is perfect" she thought

 

 

"Neku finally trusts me, his mind is almost completely mine…however, I do like having someone to play with, so maybe I won't completely take over his mind…not yet. I'll let him choose whether or not he wants me to have full control. And since he sees me as a friend and thinks that would be helping him, there's no doubt that he'll say yes."


	11. New Determination

Beat, Shiki and Rhyme search the Enlighten realm for Mr. H. They eventually had to split up searching high and low for him. As they searched for him, they asked other Enlightens if they've seen Mr. H.

 

 

As they did, they were told he was in the Composer Domain and that only Composers and Angels are strong enough to enter that realm, and only an Angel that protects a Composer usually goes there

 

"So then what exactly is that status?" Shiki asked one of them

 

 

"Guardian Angel status" a male Enlighten replied

 

 

Shiki then looked at the Enlighten in shock

 

 

"Mr. H? …he's some Guardian to Joshua?" she asked in disbelief

 

 

"yes, infact, other than the Higher Ups, Mr. H or Sanae Hanekoma, is the most powerful Angel in the afterlife, he's right behind them in power. He doesn't really like to brag or talk about that though. He wants to be treated like a regular person, no special privileges." he answered

 

 

 

"but… Mr. H said he was one of the most powerful Angels…I don't get it." Shiki exclaimed

 

 

"he doesn't like looking like he's better than someone else. At one point Mr. H _was_ one of the most powerful Angels of the Higher Plane. But his power grew until he surpassed every other Angel other than the Higher Ups." he explained

 

 

"so…I'd have to be as strong as him…all of us would, to stand a chance against Neku…that's…that's crazy. But we have to." she thought

 

 

"so do you know if he'll come here to hang out with other Angels or something?" she asked

 

 

"Doubt it, but you could wait here I guess" he replied

 

 

 

"oh…okay thanks" Shiki said smiling

 

 

She eventually tracked down Beat and Rhyme and told them what the Enlighten told her.

 

 

"Damn this sucks yo. So we're gonna stand here an' do nothin'?" Beat shouted

 

 

"I think that's all we can do Beat. Mr. H probably has his hands full with his research on Demons and stuff. I'd bet Joshua has to deal with the same thing too….you know…Neku, and what he's tuned into. Who knows? Maybe his research can help us have a better understanding of how to help Neku." Rhyme added smiling

 

 

"yeah, you're right Rhyme. So….what now?" Beat said shrugging

 

 

"well I guess we could practice some more of our techniques" Shiki replied with Mr. Mew on her shoulder nodding in agreement

 

 

"heh heh, yeah good thinkin' Shiki" Beat said excitedly

 

 

The three friends took turns holding hands and became Enlightens and then sat on the glass floor meditating to activate their Angel form.

 

 

Remembering how thinking about Neku helped them last time, they all did this once again and became Angels.

 

 

They then practiced flying and attacking at once. They unleashed Angel fire, lighting, and orbs at each other with each friend dodging all the attacks, and practicing how to fight in their true power state.

 

 

Shiki then threw Mr. Mew at Beat who transformed into its panther form. Beat reacted quickly and blasted Angel fire at the panther causing it to roar in pain.

 

 

Beat then charged towards Shiki causing her to block all his combos as he attempted to knock her down.

 

 

She retaliated by swinging her leg beneath him causing him to trip and teleported behind him shooting Angel orbs at him with panther Mr. Mew charging at him. He dodged all the orbs and tackled the panther to the ground.

 

 

Rhyme then shot Angel lightning at Shiki and flew at her at blinding speeds and began her speed attack she used on Mr. H's Noise from their last training session as Angels.

 

 

Being aware of how it's impossible to dodge the attack due to how fast it is, Shiki retaliated by forming a barrier around herself and blasted it causing Rhyme to recoil away from her.

 

 

As this was happening in the Enlighten Realm, Mr. H sensed the intensity of their energies, and stopped his meditation of sensing Damien.

 

 

 

He then rose to his feet and saw Joshua returning from his talk with the Higher Ups and saw him return to his human form. As Joshua walked towards Mr. H he too felt Beat, Shiki and Rhyme's energy.

 

 

"Mr. H, you feel that too right?" Joshua exclaimed

 

 

"yeah I was just about to talk to you about that. What do you think they're doing?" Mr. H asked

 

 

Joshua then pulled back his hair smiling at Mr. H and gave him his usual icy laugh.

 

 

"isn't it obvious? They're trying to get stronger Mr. H and odds are that they came here to see you. You know to train some more." he replied

 

 

Mr. H then sighed and scratched his head

 

 

"heh heh, those kids are really somethin' else. I guess I ought to go and help them train now huh?" Mr. H said smiling

 

 

Mr. H then transforms into a white orb that's clear in the center of it and flies to a portal Joshua opens for him.

 

 

He then exit's the portal to see Beat, Shiki and Rhyme in their Angel forms fighting

 

 

They notice Mr. H's orb form and instantly stop fighting causing the Enlightens and Angels that were watching them fight to look at the orb too.

 

 

It then glows bright white and became Mr. H's human form.

 

 

This then caused the lower ranked Angels and Enlightens to bow to him which caused Mr. H to sigh and scratch his head.

 

 

 

"aw come one guys, you know that I'm not really into the whole superiority that comes with the ranking system. Lighten up." he exclaimed laid back as usual

 

 

They then rised to their feet with one of the female Enlightens chuckling at his laid back behavior.

 

 

"that's just like you Mr. H." she remarked

 

 

"heh heh, I guess so. But seriously there's no need to bow to me. We all have strengths an weaknesses, and you know how I feel like the ranking system shouldn't lower someone due to how they may be lacking in a certain area. It just kinda seems unfair, y'know?" he said smiling

 

 

"now I need you all to give me some space, you all probably know why they're here, since mental walls don't exist in the Higher Plane." he says sternly

 

 

They then fly away from him and allow him to be with his pupils.

 

 

"Mr. H you're finally here!" Rhyme said happily

 

 

"Yeah man, now we can start trainin' yo!" Beat said excitedly

 

 

"Do you mind telling us what you were up to?" Shiki asked smiling with Mr. Mew on her shoulder again.

 

 

Mr. H then noticed her toy doing a sort of begging motion with his paws held together nodding up and down.

 

 

"heh heh, alright. I'll tell ya what I know and after that, we'll continue your training" he replied

 

 

"while you guys were practicing your abilities, I could sense Neku's Demon form's energy. He's getting confident even more in his plan and it's because of that, that I think the invasion will start soon." The Angel said worried

 

 

"It's also because of that, that I'm glad you're all here. You guys need to get stronger if you're really gonna try to save Phones." Mr. H said darkly

 

 

 

"the worst is over. You guys succeeded in something that was presumed to be impossible for Human Souls to do unless within the UG. Now we're gonna expand on your abilities." he added

 

 

"Hells yeah! This is gonna be tight!" Beat roared

 

 

"heh heh first of all I need you guys to go back to your original form." Mr. H exclaimed

 

 

"huh? What for yo?" Beat asked

 

 

"for your training" Mr. H said with his hands in his pockets

 

 

"oh aight" Beat replied

 

 

Beat Shiki and Rhyme then allowed the energy to weaken and eventually they went back to their Fledgling forms.

 

 

"so now what?" Shiki asked

 

"well as you guys know, you're not gonna be able to simply sit down and meditate to turn into an Angel when you face Phones. So we're going to focus on speeding up the transformation…kinda like how I can instantly turn into an Angel with a snap of my fingers." Mr. H explained

 

 

"and after that, the real training will begin. You all have to be as powerful as me" he added

 

 

This then caused the three friends to look at each other with shock then turned back to Mr. H

 

 

"okay so how do we instantly transform into an Angel Mr. H?" Rhyme asked

 

 

"well you know how you need to absorb enough energy from the Higher Plane to become Angels? Basically you need to do that in a matter of seconds. You need to obtain a certain amount of energy in a short amount of time and then trigger the transformation." he explained

 

 

"so do what we usually do to transform…but faster?" Shiki replied

 

 

"exactly" Mr. H said back

 

 

"Aight yo, let's give it a shot." Beat exclaimed

 

 

"now remember this needs to be instant take little to no time at all doing this." Mr. H instructed

 

 

"Okay" Shiki replied

 

 

Mr. H then took a few steps back to observe them.

 

 

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme all closed their eyes and instantly snapped their fingers trying to trigger the angel form.

 

 

They then opened their eyes and looked at their hands to see that they're still transparent.

 

 

"Aw come on yo! What'd we do wrong?!" Beat yelled frustrated

 

 

"Not enough energy" Mr. H exclaimed "you gotta take in enough energy for the transformation to take place"

 

 

"Alright…let's try it again Beat." Rhyme said smiling

 

 

"yeah" he replied smiling back

 

 

They then closed their eyes absorbing the energy again.

 

 

As he observed this, Mr. H then removed his sunglasses to reveal bright blue eyes.

 

 

Mr. H tapped into his Angel eyes to observe how much energy they were absorbing.

 

 

"alright, so far so good. But it's taking too long, Neku could easily kill them right now if they faced this situation in battle." he thought

 

 

"Come on! I need to do this for Neku." Shiki thought

 

 

They felt the energy flow into them and snapped their fingers…only to have the same result.

 

 

Infuriated Shiki then had her hands balled up into fists with her head hanging down.

 

 

"why?…Why isn't this working Mr. H?!" she cried

 

 

"If we can't do this fast enough we won't be able to transform! If we can't transform then we won't stand a chance against him and--

 

 

Mr. H then generated his white Angel energy to soothe Shiki, causing her to raise her head.

 

 

"Shiki, it's okay. You guys were really close that second time. You just gotta speed it up a little bit more. Make this instant, that the moment you close your eyes and open them that you become Angels." He said reassuring her

 

 

"I understand why your frustrated and it's okay. Just remember who this is for Shiki." he said smiling

 

 

This caused Shiki to smile at him, focusing on him instead of her frustration.

 

 

She then giggled happily at Mr. H

 

 

"for Neku" she said happily

 

 

"heh heh there you go sport. Now do it again, and remember don't stress over this. Just let the energy flow into you." he instructed her.

 

 

"yeah" Shiki replied

 

 

They then closed their eyes, snapped their fingers, and opened their eyes once more. However this time when they opened up their eyes, Shiki was filled with happiness.

 

 

"oh my gosh, guys we…we finally did it!" she screamed

 

 

"hells yeah! Now we can get even better yo!" Beat yelled

 

 

As the three friends yelled at each other excitedly Mr. H watched them, seeing their happy faces, and was very pleased with the results

 

 

"heh heh, it seems just thinking about him, helped them out. It's amazing what he can do to these kids. They've pushed themselves accomplishing things a Human Soul shouldn't be able to do…and yet, here they are getting closer and closer to being on par with me. The only thing they'd be missing is my experience" Mr. H thought happily

 

 

"Phones really found some amazing people in the UG…in a way I'm glad my art lead to him getting killed. If he wasn't, then he would've never met these people…he wouldn't know how ridiculously strong their loyalty is…just hang in there a bit longer Neku…cause at this rate…I honestly think they're gonna get you back." the angel thought

 

 

"ha ha, there you go guys! I knew you three could do it. Now your training will really begin" he said smiling.

 

 

As this happened in the Enlighten Realm, in the Composer district, Joshua was preparing to do his basic duty as a Death God. He had a portal open and was observing humans trying to find the ones he needed to bring to the Higher Plane.

 

As he did this, he then felt a sharp pain in his head causing him to return to his human form.

 

 

"Nngh! Why am I feeling this?" he said clenching his teeth

 

 

"…Neku" he thought "He knows that they're training to get stronger. But then…why isn't he doing anything to stop this? Is he really that sinister now? He actually wants to kill them when they're as strong as Mr. H…his presence is so…blood thirsty.

 

 

 

"He craves to kill Fledglings…something I'm used to feeling. But… he seems so much more insane than the past Demon Lords and Mistresses. He's calm, and composed but…there's something off about that composure like he's hiding how deranged he really is. Is he going to reveal that to us when he invades the Higher Plane?" the Composer thought concerned

 

 

Joshua then took a deep breath and sighed

 

 

"My Proxy's out of control…if he's strong enough to kill them, to kill Angels that are going to be on par with Mr. H… then there's no way I can allow him to face Neku. Mr. H could die if he did as the Higher Ups have instructed us. But… at the same time, since Neku's going to launch an invasion, there'll be plenty of us Angels and Composers to support him and Shiki, Beat and Rhyme." Joshua said aloud

 

 

"Neku…" he thought again "he's so strong now that he may be like him, the Original Demon Lord. Even if they're not on par with each other, Neku's behavior is a lot like him…his presence carries a sense of Death and…mental instability. That if someone faces him in battle…that they'll lose and that their pain would make him smile."

 

 

"I guess...that's something we have in common. After all, it was amusing shooting Neku again in our little duel, for the fate of Shibuya. I remember that I couldn't help but chuckle before shooting him again." Joshua thought

 

 

"I just felt adrenaline. A rush from charging up to Neku with my pistol getting ready to shoot him back at Udagawa. I felt excited running to my Proxy, and well…I know it's not exactly normal to think and plan to go kill someone. but even then, my presence isn't the presence that he's giving off as Damien…is it because I have a conscious and know better than to just run around killing whoever I want?" The Composer thought about

 

 

"Even if I literally did that by killing Neku in Udagawa, it's not like I'd kill random people. Only those who serve a purpose to me, or are meant to die as part of their time of passing. Is that what seperates me from Damien?" he wondered

 

 

 

As Joshua pondered this, in Damien's throne room, he told Izawa to let the Scouters and Raptures know that his "talk" with the Higher Plane will start soon and to prepare their strategies on how to make their fight with the future intruders seem convincing.

 

 

His Watchman disappeared into a puff of smoke and left the throne room.

 

 

Damien then happily drank his wine satisfied with how smoothly his plans were going.

 

 

As he relaxed, Neku was with Clarissa once more and was panting from her energy burning him again…however he noticed something felt different about it.

 

"Clarissa…it's…it's starting to hurt less." he said out of breath

 

 

"are you sure? You still seem tired from it" she remarked

 

 

"yeah…towards the end it started to burn less." he replied

 

 

 

"well when it completely burns less let me know, so we can go to another level of energy okay?" she said sweetly

 

 

"yeah…I will and thanks" he said weakly

 

 

"for what?" Clarissa asked

 

 

"for helping me get stronger…it's like that saying: "no pain no gain" right?" he replied

 

 

"yeah" Clarissa said smiling

 

 

Then she dissolved into smoke again watching Neku.

 

 

As he laid in his bed he remembered how he heard the voices screaming in pain.

 

 

(When Damien killed Fledglings to show his power)

 

 

"why? Why does it have to be like this? I…it's not like I know those people screaming but still…I don't want to be a murderer. I just wish people would leave me alone. That…they wouldn't hurt me. That I could just be ignored." he thought

 

 

"it's because of them being a threat that they were killed, my body had to do it…they deserved to die." he said darkly

 

 

"But…what if they…what if they weren't targeting me. What if my body made a mistake and killed someone innocent? I hate people…

 

 

I don't get people…all they've ever done is…let me down. Make me feel like…I'm not good enough…like…no one likes me…no one cares about me. My family is all I've got and they've let me down at times too…but now I've lost them too. I…I only have CAT and Clarissa now…that should be enough right?" he thought

 

 

To be continued…


	12. New Determination (Part  2)

 

 

Beat, Shiki and Rhyme then continued their training with Mr. H learning how to perfect their abilities as Angels. Now that they learned how to become Angels at an instant Mr. H then taught them how to engulf themselves in their energy and unleash it as a dome of energy destroying everything in its path.

 

 

He also then helped Beat and Rhyme expand their imaginations by teaching them how to heal themselves with their minds quickly and how to generate their own energy as lightning.

 

 

The three friends grew stronger and trained for what felt like hours. They learned how to fly at mach speeds and generate multiple orbs. Mr. H knew that he'd be pushing them really hard if they were taught how to clone themselves, but to face Neku they had to be exactly as strong as him.

 

 

Mr. H then told them to take a break and would then teach them how to clone themselves and more techniques.

 

 

He then told them that he was going to go report some information and to stay put and relax, and that he'd join them shortly. Mr. H then teleports himself to the Composer Domain and goes to the Higher Ups district from there.

 

 

"You wish to know more about what the demons are planning?" he asked one of the Maestros kneeling on one knee to them and expanding his Angel wings

 

 

"Indeed we do, Sanae" a female Maestro replied

 

 

"well as you know, they wish to invade the Higher Plane and kill the Composer of Shibuya and myself. You also are aware of how they then wish to target you, mainly….the Demon Lord himself. But…I've analyzed their presence and taken notes on the information I've gathered, and it seems that each ranking of the demons are preparing their own attack strategy. It is my fear that the invasion may start soon…and with so many Angels and Enlightens gone I fear that they may have a chance at bringing us down." Mr. H announces

 

 

"why this is rather ominous coming from you Sanae, you're usually so optimistic. Is the boy really still troubling you?" one of the male Maestros asked

 

 

"In a way sir he is." Mr. H replied "it almost feels like I'm wasting my time teaching these Fledglings how to fight as Angels and get them as strong as me. I'd hate for circumstances to demand me to use my most powerful attack on Neku sir. I know that I have no choice, that I must eliminate the target threatening the Higher Plane, but I just wish it had not come to this sir. Just like how I had to plan to kill the Composer of Shibuya." he said darkly

 

 

One of the Maestros then told Mr. H that he may rise to them and relax.

 

 

"I'm aware of your friendship with the boy Sanae but that time has passed. Remember, that when he arrives at the Higher Plane that, that is your chance to strike. You must kill Neku Sakuraba, and as for the other, weaker Demons your little pupils can surely kill them." Another Maestro instructed

 

 

"There's no need to worry Sanae, I'm quite certain that we can defend out realm. After all, this wouldn't be the first time a Demon has tried to take over the Higher Plane." the Maestro added

 

 

"And what of Joshua?" one of the male Maestros asked "Has he been doing as we instructed him?"

 

 

Mr. H then rose to his feet and stood with his hands in his pockets in a laid back position

 

 

"Yes sir. He's been monitoring humans lately, trying to find those whose time in the RG has expired… however, he seems to be rather troubled lately." Mr. H replied

 

 

"Troubled?" the Maestro repeated curiously

 

 

"he seems to be focusing almost a little too much on the assignment he was given. It was like he's trying to avoid speaking to me, like he may have something on his mind sir." he reported

 

 

"Do you think it may have something to do with his Proxy? After all, the Composer did get a more personal perspective of the Reapers' Game than any other previous one." the male Maestro added

 

 

"you don't think…that he's become attached to the boy do you Sanae?" he asked

 

 

Mr. H then chuckled

 

 

"As much as he would deny it, having such an immense sense of pride as a Composer, I think in all honesty he has sir, otherwise he wouldn't be so lost in his thoughts. I honestly believe he's concerned for him." Mr. H said smiling

 

 

"Heh, a measly little Human affecting the judgment of a one who ascended to Composer?….what are the odds of that?" one of the female Maestros remarked tauntingly

 

 

As the twelve Maestros stood before him one of them glided over to Mr. H.

 

 

"You may go now Sanae, we are very pleased with your status reports. You have served us very well." she said smiling

 

 

"thank you madam" he said bowing to her.

 

 

He then opened a portal back to the Enlighten district to train with Beat, Shiki and Rhyme again

 

 

He couldn't but smile as he saw them relax for once.

 

 

"hey guys I'm back" Mr. H said smiling as he walked out of the portal.

 

 

"hey Mr. H." they all replied happily

 

 

"so you gonna teach us some more stuff yo?" Beat said excitedly

 

 

"yeah but before I do that, there's something need to tell you guys." Mr. H said seriously

 

 

He thin sighed and scratched his head. He hated feeling partially responsible for Neku's transformation and felt like he needed to get it off his chest.

 

 

"First off, before we continue your training…I want to say…I'm sorry…to all of you." he said sadly

 

 

"Huh? What are you apologizing for Mr. H?" Shiki asked

 

 

"yeah you haven't done anything wrong" Rhyme added smiling

 

 

He then walked over to Rhyme and patted her on her head

 

 

"Heh heh, that's where you're wrong kiddo" he chuckled

 

 

"it's my fault that this has happened. I promised Phones that I wouldn't let anything bad happen to him, that I'd be there for him. I made a mistake and allowed my emotions to get the better of me. As you know Shiki, from the time we were at my coffee shop, I was the one who put my Angel energy inside Phones, to help protect him from the demon energy consuming him."

 

 

"yeah I remember that Mr. H" Shiki replied

 

 

"So what went wrong Mr. H?" Rhyme asked

 

 

"Yeah how is dat a bad thing yo?" Beat added

 

 

Mr. H then sighed and scratched his head.

 

 

"I was too hesitant." he replied

 

 

"I was concerned for Phones' safety and only gave him a small amount of my Angel energy. I didn't want to overwhelm him with it you see. I was afraid that if he had too much energy inside him, that he'd overload himself and fade away…I…

 

 

Mr. H then crossed his arms and sighed again

 

 

"I should've been more careful, I should've given him more just incase this sort of thing happened…But I made a mistake. …and now that one mistake I made, made him a monster. Neku is a demon because of my actions. As a Guardian, I failed at my job, it's because of me."

 

 

Shiki then hanged her head with sadness

 

 

"Mr. H it wasn't your fault, you did what you thought was right. You were looking out for him, just like you always do. I'm responsible for this happening too. If I had controlled my Angel energy better when Neku needed me, then he wouldn't be in this mess…

 

 

She then looked up at him and smiled

 

 

We both made a mistake, but that's why we're gonna save Neku, and fix our mistakes." Shiki replied

 

 

"Yeah Shiki's right yo! We can't go bein' all sad 'n stuff. That ain't gonna bring Phones back." Beat added

 

 

"Enjoy every moment with all you got right Mr. H?" Rhyme added smiling

 

 

He then couldn't help but smile at them seeing how they don't blame him for what happened

 

 

(something that he was concerned that they would do.)

 

 

"Ha ha right." Mr. H replied

 

 

"So are we gonna learn how to clone now Mr. H?" Rhyme asked happily

 

 

"You bet!" he replied smiling

 

 

"But before we begin there's something I want you and Beat to have." he added

 

 

He then backed up from the three friends and generated Angel energy, but unlike with Neku, it was around his entire body and then got closer to Beat.

 

 

Seeing him with white energy outlined in gray made him look at Mr. H a little shocked

 

 

"Hold up yo. You want me to take all' a dat glowy stuff?" Beat asked nervously

 

 

"Yeah, this is my way of fixing my mistake. You and Rhyme only have a small portion inside you, the little present I gave you both. But this will make you and Rhyme as strong as Shiki since she has Angel energy inside her. This made her a little stronger than you two when you first began training." he replied

 

 

"so go on now. No need to be afraid Beat." Mr. H said smiling

 

 

Beat then closed his eyes and extended his right hand out to Mr. H and absorbed the energy

 

 

He then opened his eyes to see all the energy was gone

 

 

"BWAAAHAAAAH! Is that Angel stuff really inside me now?" he asked in shock

 

 

"ha hah yup, now you'll be able to see what you can really do now that Angel energy is inside you. This'll make your Angel form really strong now. And if this training goes well, you guys will be as strong as me." Mr. H replied

 

 

"aw hells yeah! That's tight yo! We'll be able to get Phones back no problem." he cried

 

 

"ha ha, calm down Beat, it's your sister's turn now." Mr. H said smiling

 

 

He then generates the energy again and goes up to Rhyme.

 

 

"are….are you sure I can handle this?" Rhyme asked a little nervous

 

 

"Of course! It's just like what I told Phones when I taught him the Angel Orb technique…

 

 

"I'd never make you do something that I think you couldn't handle" he said smiling.

 

 

This then caused Rhyme to smile back

 

 

"Heh heh okay…I'm ready Mr. H" she said happily

 

 

She then closed her eyes and extended out her hand absorbing the energy.

 

 

When she opened her eyed she saw that the energy was gone and smiled at him.

 

 

As they prepared for their training, the Heathens all discussed how to attack the future intruders in the Demon Lord's Cathedral.

 

 

"so you understand the plan? Dokueki asked the Heathen second in command, Nikuyoku

 

 

"Of course" she replied smiling

 

 

What she may lack in strength compared to Dokueki, she makes up for it in stealth and has the ability to inflict agonizing pain amongst an enemy with a snap of her fingers.

 

 

The two Demurals then transformed into their human form.

 

 

Nikuyoku had tan skin and white hair. She wore a tight, black, short sleeved shirt with a V neck split down the middle. She then had a gray skirt and black slippers.

 

 

Dokueki had pale skin and long brown hair in his human form. He wore a dark gray long sleeve shirt and black pants, followed by black shoes.

 

 

Chikara, a more bulky and tough looking than the leaders of the group due to his physic resembling a football player. He too had pale skin, short dark gray hair and wore a black long sleeve T-shirt and a white tie attacked to it. He also had black pants with a blueish tint to it.

 

 

They practiced their little charade of trying to stop Damien's former friends and were satisfied with the results.

 

 

 

"great job" Dokueki told the other Raptures

 

 

 

"be sure to remind the Scouters to get ready for them as well." he reminded Nikuyoku .

 

 

"I will" she replied

 

 

As this happened within one of the parts of the Cathedral, Damien relaxed in his throne room monitoring Joshua

 

 

"Hmmm, he seems very lost in thought. All he does is the basic duty of the Composer…What could he be thinking about?" he wondered as he chewed on his apple

 

 

As he observed Joshua through the portal he created, he was able to pick up on his thoughts.

 

 

Joshua was in his Composer form monitoring humans he needed to kill, and let out a sigh of boredom

 

 

"Ugh…it's so dull here. All the Guardian Angels and other Composers are all in the Higher Ups' district preparing for the invasion." he thought

 

 

"I wonder how Neku's friends are doing… is their training going well?…why do I care? It's a useless effort and Mr. H knows this too. It's impossible to save Neku, all of Mr. H's research proves it. He's just a little human soul that escaped his flesh. He's just a measly little human."

 

 

Joshua then let out a frustrated groan

 

 

 

"Neku is my Proxy nothing more. Heh, there's no way ME a Death God could be friends with a creature as insignificant as a human. Even if we have a lot in common and how I was a normal human once, I am beyond that now. They're just temporary vessels destined to be born and then pass on and continue creating the balance between the Higher Plane and the RG."

 

 

" Sure it's fun to mess with him…but…there's no way I could be his friend. I could easily kill him if I wanted too. I could do it with a single blow really…and yet…I feel…almost sorry for him. I…I knew him at one point…and now… he's going to try to kill me and….

 

 

"RRRGH!" he growled

 

 

 

"Stop thinking like that! Neku's just my Proxy…but...Neku changed because of me. I'm the one that sent him to the UG...if he can change, then...maybe I can too. ..Stop, Mr. H is my friend. I've known Mr. H longer than I've known my Proxy...Neku...even if we do have a lot in common, he's just my Proxy...that's it…I can't let my emotions blind me from that fact. I'm a God of Death… I have to keep the balance going and kill more humans. I can't waste time thinking like this!" he thought

 

 

As Damien watched the troubled Composer Neku was resting once again on his bed.

 

 

"Clarissa…" he said weakly "there's something I want to ask you"

 

 

She then appeared as smoke again and became human and sat next to Neku.

 

 

"What is it?" she said sweetly

 

 

"What's my body really planning you said he wanted to rid the afterlife of evil spirits right? …Spirits that would….try to hurt me. There has to be more to it than that…right?" he asked

 

 

Clarissa then smiled happy with how much he trusts her now.

 

 

"you're exactly right Neku. He's going to start his noble cause with horrible spirits that are planning to invade the Demon realm… being a former Demon Mistress I too, can sense energy the way your body can as the Demon Lord…even here, inside your mind."

 

"R…Really?" Neku asked in shock

 

"yes, he's going to start with those spirits, they want to kill the Demon Lord and destroy the Demon Realm. They've deemed us creatures as inferior and wish to wipe us all out." she said lying

 

This then made Neku gasp out of fear

 

 

"No! they…they want to kill me?! Just because I'm a Demon?!" Neku cried

 

 

"I'm afraid so" she said sadly "that's why your body plans on cutting off their invasion and killing them by luring them here."

 

 

She then looked towards Neku and placed her hand on his shoulder

 

 

"Neku…I'm afraid that they may be coming here sooner than we expected if that happens, I will do all I can to protect your body." she said firmly

 

 

"thanks…" Neku said weakly with his head facing the floor.

 

 

"Clarissa…what if…what if those spirits are too strong for my body to handle…even a Demon Lord or Mistress has their limits…right?" he asked

 

 

"yes they do…but…that's why I have an idea… if that happens and the evil spirits start to hurt your body and overwhelm you…with your permission of course, I…I'd like to take control of the situation…and deal with them myself." she replied

 

 

Neku then raised his head to look at her

 

 

 

"huh? What do you mean?" he asked curiously

 

 

"Neku…you trust me right?" she asked

 

 

"Y…yeah" he replied "it's…like your some kind of guardian…trying to protect me…why do you ask?"

 

 

"Because if that happens, I want you to let me take over you. Give me your mind Neku." she replied smiling

 

 

"Give you my mind?" he repeated

 

 

"yes, give me everything…let me have complete control, and I'll kill them myself. I promise nothing would happen to you…it would be perfectly safe" she said lying.

 

 

"so…it would be like…when someone puts an airplane on auto-pilot?" Neku asked

 

 

 

"exactly" she replied "you don't need to answer right away after all, this process takes time Neku. And I only want to do that if you want to. It's your choice"

 

 

She then gets up from the bed and prepares to disappear again

 

 

"Clarissa….thanks." Neku said weakly

 

 

"don't mention it" she replied smiling

 

 

"this is perfect. Neku's completely mine now. Whenever he decides to let me have control, I'll finally get to go to his Soul Code and kill him, destroying this last little shred of his energy that escaped corruption. That way he'll be a Demon Lord forever and his little friends will lose Neku...forever" she thought pleased

 

 

She then disappeared to watch Neku once more

 

 

"Should I do it?" Neku thought as he laid on his bed

 

 

"should I give her everything?"

 

 

To be continued…


	13. New Determination (Part 3)

Neku laid in his bed wondering if he really should give his mind to her, he knows Clarissa would do everything she could to keep him safe (at least that's what he's been lead to believe) but he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if something went wrong during the process…

 

 

 

 

"What if when Clarissa did that, I couldn't handle it…anything could happen right? I need to really think about this"

 

 

 

 

"Those…monsters" Neku thought "They want to kill me just for being a Demon, that my body is better than them. I have abilites they don't…and I need to be ready for them."

 

 

 

 

Neku then sat up on his bed and took a deep breath.

 

 

 

 

"Alright Clarissa, I've made up my mind" he said aloud

 

 

 

 

She then reappeared in front of Neku in her usual transformation, (first the smoke, then her human form) and sat next to him on the bed

 

 

 

 

"really? Well what is it?" she said smiling

 

 

 

 

"I….I wanna do it, I'm in." he replied

 

 

 

"I'll let you take control but…I wanna see if my body can handle this first. If my Demon form gets too hurt, or…I start to feel unsafe…then…do it, take over me."

 

 

 

 

Clarissa, pleased with his answer then placed her hand on his shoulder

 

 

 

 

"alright Neku. I'll take over whenever you want me too" she said sweetly

 

 

 

 

"Thanks" he replied

 

 

 

 

"don't mention it" she said sweetly

 

 

 

 

Rather than leaving to monitor her little puppet like she usually does she decided to stay with him a little longer and teach him about the history of past Demon Lords and Mistresses.

 

 

 

 

As this happened within Damien's head he got up from his throne chair to observe the tapestries that are to the left, and right side of his chair. Finally being able to relax a bit with his plan running so smoothly he was able to analyze the menacing Dragon Noise that was on them. It resembled a European Dragon (also known as the dragons with giant bat wings and breathe fire) with the usual markings the Noise have on their bodies with its wings made completely of the markings.

 

 

 

 

The dragon had red eyes, and jagged pupils. Its body was nearly the same color as Damien's hair and had the markings being gray colored.

 

 

 

 

"Such a fascinating creature." Damien thought

 

 

 

 

When his pupiless eyes met with the eyes of the Dragon he had a stunning realization.

 

 

 

 

"Kurushii" Damien thought "the first Demon Lord…this was his Noise form…he learned an ability that was exclusive to Reapers, something that not even those cocky little Angels can do without the aid of their Angel feathers due to it being more difficult for the energy to flow through their body, there's resistance,but not for us Demons, to become a Noise naturally, by it flowing through the entire body… I wonder if I could obtain such power?"

 

 

 

 

He then smiled and sat back on his chair and began to drink his wine. Despite liking Akemi's tea, he prefers wine

 

 

 

 

"Then again…" he thought "If I conquer the Higher Plane then I won't need a Noise form. I'll slaughter all of those insignificant fools with their arrogant views on the world, and expand the Demon realm to the Higher Plane. Then by doing that, when a Human Soul crosses over, they'll instantly become a Demon, making Angels and Composers extinct, forever."

 

 

 

 

He then opened a portal to spy on Neku's former friends and watch their training continue. He loved knowing how worthless their efforts were and couldn't wait to rip them to shreds with his claws.

 

 

 

 

 

He saw Mr. H teaching them how to clone themselves through the portal and became curious as to whether or not they could actually pull it off.

 

 

 

 

"Okay guys the way you clone yourself is kinda tricky but the way you do that is through your imagination." Mr. H told them

 

 

 

 

"So it's kind of like how Beat and I made our house?" Rhyme asked

 

 

 

 

"it's exactly like that." he replied

 

 

 

 

"so for this to work you need to imagine yourself splitting up into multiple clones. The number of clones that appear will vary based on how many of them you want to appear. Just think of a number you three and then everything else should take care of itself." he instructed them

 

 

 

They all closed their eyes, pictured their Angel form cloning itself and thought of a number.

 

 

 

"thirtey" Rhyme thought

 

 

 

"Fourty five" Shiki thought

 

 

 

"seventy" Beat thought

 

 

 

 

 

 

The moment they opened their eyes they all saw their number of clones.

 

 

 

"BWAAAAHAAH!" Beat cried

 

 

 

"It…It worked yo!" he exclaimed happily

 

 

 

 

Mr. H smiled at them pleased with how the massive amount of Angel energy he gave Beat and Rhyme is helping them catch on so quickly

 

 

 

"They've grown so strong" Mr. H thought pleased

 

 

 

"Ha ha, great job you guys, now just remember that you don't need to make such a huge amount of clones when doing this…

 

 

 

Mr. H then became more serious causing them to do the same

 

 

 

"You'll burn out your Angel form faster by doing that." he said darkly

 

 

 

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme then hanged their heads.

 

 

 

 

"so we messed up?" Shiki said sadly

 

 

 

"No, not at all. Just only make this many clones if you really think you need to." Mr. H told them smiling

 

 

 

They all then looked up at him and smiled back

 

 

 

 

"So now what yo?" Beat asked

 

 

 

"well since fighting alongside clones is pretty easy since they'll do what you do, unless you tell them otherwise, we're now gonna practice fighting with them." Mr. H awnsered

 

 

 

 

"really?" Rhyme asked

 

 

 

"yup" he replied

 

 

 

 

Mr. H then took a few steps back and went full blast and created his own clones.

 

 

 

 

He created a total of twenty six clones

 

 

 

 

"Mr. H how come you made such a small number of clones?" Shiki asked

 

 

 

 

"cause I'm gonna show you how you can take down someone with a number this small, remember that if you make too many clones you'll overload yourselves." he reminded them

 

 

 

 

"So…get ready you three" he instructed them

 

 

 

 

They all got in a fighting stance causing their clones to do the same and this caused Mr. Mew to go into his panther form.

 

 

 

The powerful Angels then charged at each other with the dozens of Angel Clones tackling each other to the ground and shooting out Angel fire and lightning at each other.

 

 

 

 

Having his immense strength increased so drastically as an Angel, Beat then unleashed powerful domes of energy blowing up the Mr. H clones he then grabbed one of them and threw them to the ground with such force that glass shattered everywhere as a result when the clone hit the ground and dissolved into sparks

 

 

 

 

"Ha ha! Take that yo! I'm commin' for ya Mr. H!" Beat cried

 

 

 

 

He then charged through more clones destroying more of Mr. H's clones

 

 

 

 

"this kid" the real Mr. H though in shock as he shot Angel lightening from his body attacking Shiki, Beat and Rhyme's clones

 

 

 

 

"he's just like what Phones nicknamed him…a freaking rhino. I'm not pulling  _any_  punches, I'm giving him all I've got and yet he's dissolving my clones so easily. This kid's physical strength just barely exceeds my own."

 

 

 

 

Beat then grabbed Rhyme, spun her around to build momentum and then threw his sister at Mr. H's clones causing her to then unleash her speed attack once again but engulfed her entire body with a dome of Angel energy and cut through his clones as she slashed them at blinding speeds.

 

 

 

Shiki and Mr. Mew fought in unison once more and unleashed rapid slashes on Mr. H's clones. She then built up a pillar of energy in her hands and launched it at Mr. H's clones dissolving a huge chunk of his clones in the process.

 

 

 

 

Mr. H pleased with their power thought

 

 

 

 

"Looks like I'll have to get serious with these three"

 

 

 

The clones then flew at them at mach speeds unleashing a barrage of Angel attacks, he unleashed fire, lightning, and Angel orbs all at once. Destroying many of their clones. Mr. H then also let out a pillar of his energy and blew up more clones.

 

 

 

 

He then launched massive orbs on the clones of his pupils which exploded on impact. They all retaliated by doing the same to his clones.

 

 

 

 

Shiki then looked at the real Beat very seriously

 

 

 

"Beat throw me!" she exclaimed

 

 

 

 

"Aight yo!" he replied

 

 

 

 

He then spun Shiki around and threw her the same way he threw his sister.

 

 

 

 

Being more sensitive to energy now, like Neku she was able to wrap her entire body with her Angel energy while unleashing pillars of it at Mr. H's clones while she  charged through Mr. H's clones and let out a ferocious scream as Mr. Mew also charged alongside her.

 

 

 

 

As she started to feel fatigue she then fused with Mr. Mew's panther form causing him to have hot pink eyes and a pink aura around him.

 

 

 

 

"RAAAAAGH MR. H!" she roared

 

 

 

 

As she attacked more and more of his clones Beat and Rhyme joined in with their own combination of unleashing his strength and her speed at the clones.

 

 

 

By now all four of the Angels had their number of clones cut down by half.

 

 

 

Impressed with their progress, Mr. H thought it would be best to let them take a break, this time with himself included, and they all returned to their normal forms.

 

 

 

 

"phew" he said exhausted

 

 

 

 

"You kiddies have gotten so strong since the time you all first came here." Mr. H said impressed

 

 

 

"really?…you…you really think so?" Shiki said out of breath

 

 

 

"yeah…I'm proud of ya. I know I told you that before, but I really do mean it" he replied

 

 

 

Rhyme then smiled and giggled, she was happy that she was getting stronger to help save Neku

 

 

 

"thanks Mr. H…so what are we gonna do…after this?" she asked

 

 

 

 

"well I want to teach you something Rhyme, something that I think only you could pull off." he replied

 

 

 

"whoa…seriously?" she asked in disbelief

 

 

 

"you bet! Each one of you have your own strengths and weaknesses. Remember that, and back each other up when the time comes to face Neku." he replied

 

 

 

"heh heh, don't you worry yo! We'll all watch out for each other. We ain't gonna stop 'til we get him back yo!" Beat said strongly

 

 

 

"is there somthin' that only I can do too yo?" he asked

 

 

 

 

"yup, since you're already really strong as a human, and now you're even stronger as an Angel, you have the most stamina Beat." Mr. H said smiling

 

 

 

 

"What dat mean yo?" Beat asked confused

 

 

 

 

"it means you can handle something a lot longer than Shiki or Rhyme before feeling tired. In fact this may mean you'll be able to stay in your Angel form the longest." he replied

 

 

 

 

Beat then looked at Mr. H in shock

 

 

 

 

"Yo man…you…you really mean dat?" he asked in disbelief

 

 

 

 

"ha ha I sure do. You're a really tough guy after all, that's why Phones nicknamed you the freaking rhino right?" Mr. H said happily

 

 

 

 

"Ha ha you bet yo! I'm tough enough to break a wall in the Reapers' Game yo! and that's somthin' almost none of the other Players could do! Ain't nothin' gonna stand in our way." Beat said strongly

 

 

 

Rhyme looked at her brother and smiled, she was happy to see him so confident in himself

 

 

 

"and as for you Shiki" Mr. H continued "you already have abilities that only you can do because of your Soul being the first to link with Phones, his first Partner."

 

 

 

 

Shiki then couldn't help but smile, she was happy that there was something that they all could do to protect each other.

 

 

 

 

"heh heh, thanks Mr. H" she said happily

 

 

 

 

"heh don't mention it champ, I'm just bein' honest. You guys are almost there, just a bit more and your energy will be on par with mine." he said in his usual laid back manner

 

 

 

 

The three friends then looked at Mr. H in shock

 

 

 

"seriously? We…we're almost there?" Shiki asked amazed

 

 

 

"Yup, the only thing you all really lack is my experience, but that is something that would take years in the RG's time, and we don't have that kind of time. We should rest just a bit more then I'll teach you some other things that you'll need when you go to the Demon Realm to save our friend." he replied.

 

 

 

 

As they all rested, eventually Beat, Shiki and Rhyme all returned to their spirit forms and Mr. H returned to his human form. They all relaxed some more and discussed their excitement to get stronger to Mr. H.

 

 

 

As this happened in the Enlightens' realm, Joshua monitored more humans in the Composer district.

 

 

 

 

"Hmmm let's see. No…that human isn't supposed to die yet. No…not that one either." he thought to himself

 

 

 

 

As he observed the humans he noticed the presence of one of them felt extremely hurt, and overwhelmed with sadness. As Joshua observed the human, he wondered what that person wanted to do considering how sad that human seemed. He then took a closer look at the human.

 

 

 

 

"Hm? Oh that's right. That's that girl that I made Shiki become as punishment for her jealousy towards her friend…what was her name?…Eri" he thought

 

 

 

 

He noticed how even the way she walked changed. she had a sluggish, drained sort of movement, like she was tired. As Joshua observed her, he wished he was able to break down the wall of her mind, he was curious as to what she would do, but even that was off limits.

 

 

 

 

She was walking along the scramble crossing occasionally apologizing as she bumped into people from it being so crowded.

 

 

 

"Maybe…maybe now I should stop" she thought

 

 

 

 

"there's no point to it anymore. I…I can't sew without Shiki! I CAN'T! It's not the same. I can design clothes and sew them myself, but Shiki was always better at sewing. She always better than me at creating the clothes. It's NOT THE SAME!" she screamed in her head

 

 

 

 

 

"all…all of my closest friends…Ai, Mina, Shiki, and now…my new friends, Beat, Rhyme and Neku…they're all gone. Neku…he meant so much to Shiki, he helped her like herself. He was more of a friend to her than I ever was. I caused her to feel hurt….I never got to ask her if she forgave me. And now…it's too late."

 

 

 

 

Her deeply painful thoughts made her eyes blur.

 

 

 

 

"Why? Why is everyone I know dying?" she thought

 

 

 

After attending the funeral of all her new friends and Shiki's, Eri wasn't the same. Death lingered all around her. She felt unsafe, and paranoid. She was so afraid that she'd even refuse to ride the multiple trains in Shibuya out of fear of the trains colliding with each other at some point.

 

 

 

 

"WHAT IF I'M NEXT?!" she thought with fear

 

 

 

 

Eri then felt more tears stream down her face as she walked around the city with thoughts crashing into her head.

 

 

 

 

 

"I'M NOT SAFE! I'M NOT SAFE! EVERYONE'S DEAD! WHY SHOULD I BE ALIVE WHEN THEY'RE DEAD?! WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE PAIN OF KNOWING THEY'RE ALL DEAD?!"

 

 

 

 

 

Eri was overwhelmed with sadness and fear. Her parents noticed her starting to change. She wasn't the bubbly happy girl that Shiki once knew anymore. Eri eventually even changed her clothes. It hurt her to wear the clothes Shiki made, the clothes she wore when she was with Shiki and when she was happy.

 

 

 

 

So instead she wore a dull gray hoodie and dark gray pants. She then wore plain black shoes. Her hair was messy and ungroomed and she started to stop taking care of herself. Her eyes had dark rings underneath from lack of sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever she tried to go to sleep, she'd see the images of Neku, Beat, Shiki, and Rhyme laying dead in front of her

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually Eri walked back home and slammed the door to her room shut completely ignoring her parents.

 

 

 

 

 

"there's no point to anything anymore…why am I alive? Why is everyone I cared about, everyone that was important to me dead?" she thought

 

 

 

 

 

As Joshua noticed the drastic change in her behavior, he began to wonder whether or not to tell Shiki about this.

 

 

 

 

"She needs to focus on her training, as futile as it is. Besides even if her little friend does something reckless, it wouldn't matter. Humans are mere sacks of skin that are destined to go to the Higher Plane. Besides it's not her time of passing she wouldn't die unless I forced her to." he thought

 

 

 

 

"heh, heh, I can't help but wonder if Neku would care about this if he were a Composer and not so attached to his silly human emotions."

 

 

 

 

 

"Neku…are you really going to kill your former friends?" he said aloud

 

 

 

 

 

 

"heh how ironic, the apathetic, hurt and broken boy that was finally healed and saved from his sadness is back there again." he thought

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua than remembered how Neku's soul had become healed even just a little bit in the second week, and how his connection to Shiki helped him deal with Joshua's energy in the Reapers' Game…and how Shiki strengthened him.

 

 

 

 

 

_"I can't afford to screw around with this! I'm not letting anything jeopardize this Game. I'm not playing just for me anymore! Her life is on the line too. I …I got her dragged back into this. But I'll be damned if I let it end this way. I'm winning this Game. And I'm not relying on other Players doing it for me."_

 

 

 

 

"heh that's right. Shiki, she made such a powerful impact on him." Joshua thought "If by some miracle Mr. H is right, that they can somehow save Neku. It'll be her."

 

 

 

 

 

 

"he sees me as a friend too. And I need to be there for my Proxy and take responsibility for his actions…but still, I can't leave my post. I need to keep my priorities straight. Although Neku sees me as a friend, we're too different for this to really be reality. He's just a human soul."

 

 

 

  
  
To be Continued...


	14. Upgrades

As Joshua began to wonder whether or not to help Neku, and whether or not they really are friends, back in the Demon realm in Damien's head, Neku had questions of his own for Clarissa…

  


 

 

 

He began just trying to analyze everything she told him about the past Demon Lords and Mistresses.

  


 

 

 

"So…Kurushii…he was the first Demon Lord and somehow made himself become a Dragon Noise…to get stronger?" he asked

  


 

 

 

Clarissa smiled at him as she sat on his bed with him.

  


 

 

 

"mhm, that's exactly right Neku." she replied smiling

  


 

 

 

"it wasn't an easy task however, after all he had to constantly recreate Noise just to kill them so he could attempt to absorb enough of their energy to become one and only high leveled Angels and Demons can do this."

  


 

 

 

 

 

"and the Noise" Neku added "they're some form of energy that has a physical form, like with a Demon?"

  


 

 

 

"exactly, but unlike us, they don't have a conscious, so they tend to attack whatever form of existence that does have a mind. Regardless of how they're easy to manipulate due to them being mindless little beats, they proved to be very useful." she replied

  


 

 

 

(Clarissa was very careful of how to describe the Noise to him, she didn't want to reveal too much information to Neku.)

  


 

 

 

Due to how this could cause his mind to piece his altered memories back together and realize the connection they have to the Reapers' Game. She avoided talking about that at all costs due to it being such an important part of Neku's life.

 

 

"So what happened to him?" Neku asked

  


 

 

 

 

"He was going to fulfill the plan that your body is trying to do, he nearly destroyed the Higher Plane, but was killed in battle by an Angel." she said sadly

  


 

 

 

 

Neku then began to squeeze his bed sheets from being filled with anger.

  


 

 

 

 

 

"why?! …damn it, why did that have to happen?!" Neku screamed

  


 

 

 

"He was so close to finally freeing the afterlife of those cocky and arrogant bastards! He was so close to making a world free from hate…why…why did it come to that?"

  


 

 

 

Clarissa then sighed and placed her hand on Neku's shoulder

  


 

 

 

"Because that's how the Higher Plane is, they'll kill anyone that they deem worthless, or inferior… like us Demons." she said sadly

  


 

 

 

 

This then caused Neku to clench his teeth, filled with disgust from Clarissa's lie.

  


 

 

 

"They…they're sick!" Neku hissed in a low tone

  


 

 

 

"and that's why they're training Angels to become strong enough to kill you, and that's why I'll do everything I can to protect you Neku." she says sweetly

  


 

 

 

He then raised his head to look at her

 

 

 

 

 

"thanks…" he said weakly

  


 

 

 

 

 

"don't mention it" she said smiling again

  


 

 

 

Clarissa then vanished to monitor Neku once more.

  


 

 

 

"Kurushii" he thought "that's suffering in Japanese…fitting name I guess. After all, the only way to defeat an enemy is to make them suffer…what? What am I thinking? I…I don't want to kill people but…I have the right to defend myself."

  


 

 

 

"So is that why she gave me so much demon energy for my mind? To get me ready for this?"

  


 

 

 

As Neku began to ponder this, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme were also analyzing what Mr. H told them while they rested.

  


 

 

 

"So they're really is a Demon Realm and that's where Neku is?" Shiki asked

  


 

 

 

Mr. H then sighed and scratched his head

  


 

 

 

"Yeah…I'm sorry Shiki but that's where he is now. Where dozens of  Demons all varying in power all take orders from him." he replied

  


 

 

 

"so it's like how the Head Reaper gave orders to da other ones yo?" Beat asked

  


 

 

"yeah, as the Demon Lord, Neku has other Demons to give orders to. And when you go to face him, you'll have to kill all of them in order to face him" Mr. H added

  


 

 

 

"You'd have to face the Scouters, which is like the Demon version of a Supporter Reaper with the exception of their job being different--

  


 

 

 

"What's their job?" Rhyme asked

 

 

 

 

 

"they guard the lowest district of the Demon Realm, the Trail of Black Tears, and their job is to kill any Fledgling that goes to that district unless they want to become a Demon or, the Fledging that's trespassing is becoming a Demon." Mr. H replied

  


 

 

 

This then caused the three friends to look at each other in shock and then turn back to Mr. H

  


 

 

 

"you'd then have to face Heathens" Mr. H continued "they're basically a Demon version of Enlightens that have the status of  an Officer."

  


 

 

 

This then caused Beat to look at Mr. H confused

  


 

 

 

"huh wazup wid that yo? What does dat mean?" Beat asked

  


 

 

Shiki then turned to Beat a little shocked

  


 

 

 

"Beat you were a Reaper for almost three weeks, an entire month, you really don't remember?" she asked

  


 

 

 

He then scratched his head

  


 

 

"Hell no. dat's too far back yo"

  


 

 

They both turned to Mr. H waiting for his answer

  


 

 

Mr. H then chuckled at their innocent almost eager curiosity

  


 

 

"it means that a Heathen takes orders from the Watchman the Head Demon, the right-hand man of the current Demon Lord or Mistress, sort of like how the Conductor is the assistant of the Composer. They have servants as powerful as the Watchman too. In other words, you have to take them down before you face the Watchman, and you have to take down the Servants and the Watchman before you finally face Neku" Mr. H said darkly

  


 

 

 

"and just like with the Composer of Shibuya's Hideout, the Demon Lord's hideout is hidden too." he added

  


 

 

 

"This is where the next half of your training will help you out."

  


 

 

"heh bring it yo! At dis rate there ain't no way any of those Demon punks are gonna stop us yo!" Beat said strongly

  


 

 

Mr. H then couldn't help but smile at Beat's confidence

  


 

 

 

"Hah hah that's the spirit" he said happily

 

 

 

 

 

  
  
"alright I think you guys had enough rest"

  


 

 

 

Mr. H, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme then got to their feet to prepare to learn their next lesson.

  


 

 

 

 

"So what's the next lesson?" Rhyme asked

  


 

 

 

"well like I mentioned to you guys before, there are things that only each one of you can do, and I want to start off with you first Rhyme." Mr. H replied

  


 

 

 

 

"r--really?" she said a little nervous

  


 

 

 

"Yeah and don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine" he said patting Rhyme's head causing her to smile

  


 

 

 

He then looked at Beat and Shiki and told them that he needed space for Rhyme's lesson, so they got back from Rhyme and Mr. H and watched them from a distance

  


 

 

 

Mr. H then looked at Rhyme smiling

  


 

 

 

"you ready?" he asked

  


 

 

 

"yeah" she said happily

  


 

 

 

"what I'm gonna teach you is something that only a high leveled Angel can do, but you guys have come so far despite being new Angels and done the impossible so, I think this might work. Especially thanks to your connection." added

  


 

 

 

"my connection?" Rhyme said confused

  


 

 

 

"Yup remember how I brought you back into the Reapers' Game as a Noise?" he asked

  


 

 

 

"yeah and thanks to you I was able to help my brother and Neku in the third week!" Rhyme said smiling

  


 

 

 

"well what I want to teach you is how to make Noise and if possible maybe go even a little further." Mr. H said with his hands in his pockets

  


 

 

Rhyme then looked at him in shock

  


 

 

"you really think I can do that?" she asked

  


 

 

"hah hah I sure do. There's a lot you can do now that your imagination is set free in the Higher Plane. So what I want you to do is close your eyes Rhyme, imagine any Noise you want, and try to make this instant like the way you transform into your Angel form now." he instructed her

  


 

 

"okay" she replied

  


 

 

Rhyme then closed her eyes and did as he instructed

  


 

 

With a snap of her fingers the Noise then appeared

  


 

 

 

As Beat and Shiki watched the Noise appear they couldn't help but smile

  


 

 

"Hey that's the Noise that you and Rhyme erased for me and Neku. When you saved us from being only seconds away from erasure." she said happily with Mr. Mew hanging on to her shoulders

  


 

 

 

"Heh heh, yeah you're right yo. I can't believe she can make Noise now" Beat said happily

  


 

 

Rhyme opened her eyes to see a small gold colored bat Noise in front of her.

  


 

 

"Whoa…I…I did it!" she exclaimed happily

  


 

 

"hah hah there you go Rhyme" Mr. H said happy with her results.

  


 

 

Mr. H's next part of her training was the hard part, but he felt like since they're all going to infiltrate the Demon Lord's cathedral, that they may need Rhyme to sneak into certain parts of it just incase it was possible for them to avoid fighting certain Demons.

 

 

 

 

After all, he knows that they can't waste all their strength fighting all those Demons they needed to unleash all their energy on Neku to get him back.

  


 

 

 

 

"Now comes the real challenge Rhyme, can you now make this Noise be erased?" he asked

  


 

 

 

 

"yeah" she replies

 

 

 

 

  
  
Rhyme then closed her eyes and opened them to make the Noise dissolve into static

  


 

 

 

 

"So now what Mr. H?" she asked curiously

  


 

 

 

 

 

"Now I want to see if we can amplify your connection to the Noise. I want to see if you can become a Noise" he replied scratching his neck

  


 

 

 

 

Rhyme then widened her eyes with shock

  


 

 

 

 

"wh--what?! Mr. H how would I even do that? I don't know how to become a Noise…I'm not a Reaper."  she reminded him while hanging her head

  


 

 

 

 

 

Sensing her concern Mr. H then placed his hand on her shoulder causing her to look up a him

  


 

 

 

"I know, but I believe in ya Rhyme. I know you can do this kiddo. I honestly think out of all your friends, you're the only Spirit that can pull this off. You  _were_  a Noise once so you know what it's like to be one, you know what it's like to have that energy become apart of you. I know you can do this champ"

  


 

 

 

 

He then smiled at her causing her to do the same.  


 

 

 

 

 

"Okay I'll try Mr. H" she said strongly

  


 

 

 

 

She then closed her eyes and snapped her fingers while she pictured her Noise form

  


 

 

 

 

The moment she opened her eyes Mr. H, Beat and Shiki were giants, and the Enlightens' realm looked like it'd stretch for miles. Although she hadn't realized it, Rhyme had become her squirrel Noise form.

  


 

 

 

 

 

Shiki gasped in shock

  


 

 

 

 

"whoa Beat she, she really did it! Her Noise form matches the way Neku described it to me." she said happily

  


 

 

 

 

 

 

"heh heh yeah! She's really gettin' stronger yo." Beat said smiling

  


 

 

 

 

She then flew over to her brother and wrapped her body around his shoulders. She then rubbed her fluffy little face on Beat's before flying off of his shoulders turning back into her spirit form.

  


 

 

 

 

"heh heh, see Beat? I'm okay I can switch between my soul and Noise form now" she said happily sensing his concern

  


 

 

 

 

 

 

"wait I don't get it I thought this was supposed to be some high level Angel technique Mr. H and yet Rhyme was able to do that so easily. How come?" Shiki asked

  


 

 

 

 

 

 

"heh heh that's cause this is sort of like muscle memory, but for her mind and Soul. This already happened to her in the past." he replied

 

 

 

 

 

"When I tried to help Beat stay in the Game after Rhyme faced Erasure, I tracked down her mind and soul in that spot, and used my Angel level of imagination to seal her mind and soul in a new body, her squirrel noise, but I kept her mind intact so she wasn't mindless like the other Noise." Mr. H explained

  


 

 

 

"then when Joshua spared Shibuya and brought you all back to life I was there to recreate Rhyme's Human Soul and body, then Joshua brought you all back."

  


 

 

 

"wait so that's why you were there before Neku passed out after being shot again?" Shiki said in shock

  


 

 

 

 

"heh heh, yeah. So now thanks to that connection she has to Noise she did this so easily" Mr. H said smiling

  


 

 

 

Rhyme couldn't help but gleam as Mr. H said that

  


 

 

 

"Now it's your turn Beat" he said laid back

  


 

 

"heh heh Aight yo! Let's start it up! What's mine gonna be?" Beat asked eagerly

  


 

 

 

"well you have the physical part of being an Angel down, like being able to blow stuff up and take advantage of the increase in strength you have in this form but I'm gonna teach you something a little more delicate. You're really tough so what I want to teach you is my strongest attack, and it's because you're so powerful, that only you can handle it." he replied

  


 

 

 

Beat just stared at him in shock

  


 

 

 

"Wha…what the hell? You ain't just sayin' that yo?" he asked in disbelief

  


 

 

 

"Of course not Beat, the fact that you became a Reaper means you have a strong mind, but what you may lack in imagination, compared to a Higher Mind of course, you make up for with ridiculous strength." The Angel said wisely

 

 

 

 

 

"What I'm gonna teach you is how to focus that power you have into a single shot of energy. If done right, the impact of the shot will be like a bullet Beat. This is an instant kill move. A move that's good for taking out enemies from far away." Mr. H replied

  


 

 

"you can't afford to go running around killing every demon you see Beat. You need to save that destructive strength of yours for when it really counts, for when you fight to get Phones back." he added sternly

  


 

 

 

Beat then hanged his head knowing how he tends to rush into things.

  


 

 

 

"Yeah…I get it yo. No rushin' into the fight. I gotta be careful…for Neku man." he said weakly

  


 

 

 

Mr. H, glad to see Beat taking this so seriously, placed his hand on Beat's shoulder.

  


 

 

 

"you'll do fine Beat, I know you can do this" Mr. H said smiling

  


 

 

 

Beat then couldn't help but smile back

  


 

 

 

Shiki and Rhyme backed up to give him space for his training

   


 

 

 

"Alright now, Beat, do you remember how to make an orb with your energy?" Mr. H asked

  


 

 

 

"Yeah like this yo! Check it!" he exclaimed happily

  


 

 

 

Beat extended out his right hand and closed his eyes, while doing this, Mr. H saw an orb form in Beat's hand

  


 

 

Beat then opened his eyes smiling

  


 

 

"See?" he said to Mr. H

  


 

 

"hah hah good job Beat, now what I'm gonna show you is how to take that orb and make it a really massive amount of energy to use to take down Demons with one shot." Mr. H announced

  


 

 

 

"what I want you to do is to imagine your orb surge like lightning and make it become Angel energy, then once you've done that make the energy go to a point like a triangle." he instructed

  


 

 

 

"Wha? Slow down yo! Dis is a lot!" Beat cried

  


 

 

 

"Heh heh, alright. I know of a way that we can make this simpler. First tap into your Angel energy and an orb out of that" Mr. H said

  


 

 

"Aight" Beat replied

  


 

 

He made his orb disappear and recreated it with Angel energy.

  


 

 

"so what now?" Beat asked

  


 

 

 

"now comes the second step, make the energy have a point to it, like a triangle… you know, by thinking about it." Mr. H instructed

  


 

 

 

Beat nodded his head in understanding and allowed the energy to have less control, losing its orb shape, and imagined it dipping into a certain point.

  


 

 

 

The moment the energy did this he noticed his hand began to shake

  


 

 

 

"H-hey what's goin' on yo?! Why's my hand shakin' like this?" he cried

  


 

 

"that's the unstable energy Beat, you gotta try to resist it and keep your hand steady. Tap into your mind Beat, and use your imagination, this'll make you gain control easier." Mr. H replied

  


 

 

 

"Okay yo" Beat said strongly

  


 

 

 

He then took a deep breath and sighed

  


 

 

 

"Aight, I gotta focus. I gotta do this..for Phones. I just gotta make the energy do what I want it to do. Just let the energy flow and stuff." he thought

  


 

 

 

Shiki and Rhyme then stared at Beat in shock seeing him so…calm

  


 

 

 

As Beat focused on controlling the energy, trying to use it for Neku, his hand began to stop shaking. It was reacting to his desire to control the energy.

  


 

 

 

He then opened his eyes smiling

  


 

 

 

"Heh heh, it worked yo! So…what now?" he asked

  


 

 

 

Mr. H then summoned a Taboo Noise kangaroo for Beat to fight.

  


 

 

 

"Now, try to shoot the energy at the target. Remember that this is one shot, and it takes a lot of energy to use. So try not to miss the enemy Beat." he instructed

  


 

 

Beat then closed his right eye, clenched his left hand into a fist and then when the moment was just right, he let the energy escape his right hand killing the Noise.

  


 

 

 

Mr. H pleased with his success told him he did a great job, and to take advantage of using the attack to attack enemies from far away and if possible to avoid fighting demons, to save their strength for Neku.

 

 

 

 

 

It was then Shiki's turn, due to how she's more sensitive to energy since she's had Angel energy inside her longer than Beat and Rhyme, the energy was more adjusted to her and enabled Mr. H to teach her how to remove energy.

  


 

 

 

Beat then joined Rhyme and gave Shiki her space.

  


 

 

 

"when you imprint to get inside of Phones' head, you know that Clarissa's gonna be in there and that she'll stop at nothing to keep Neku from you. On top of that, she's poured a lot of Demon energy into his mind." the Guardian said warning her

 

 

 

 

 

"It's to the point she may be so confident in herself that she just watches Neku from afar, if she does that, that's your chance to imprint on him even more. That's why I'm going to teach you how to remove energy Shiki." Mr. H told her sternly

  


 

 

 

"r--really?" Shiki said in shock

  


 

 

"How would I do that?" she asked

  


 

 

 

"well it's kinda like when you fuse your energy with someone during a fusion in the UG. But instead of making the energies come together, you're breaking them apart. Using your energy to break the other one." Mr. H tells her

  


 

 

 

Shiki then hanged her head

  


 

 

 

"But Mr. H, Clarissa's on par with Joshua, and you said that the fact that she's a Demon, makes her equivalent rank to Joshua stronger by default!…how could I take apart her energy?" she asked weakly

  


 

 

 

Mr. H chuckled and smiled at her while he placed his hand on her shoulder

  


 

 

 

"Just remember who this is for. Neku makes your energy really strong and how on top of that, your training has made you as strong as me, all you lack is my combat experience." he said smiling

  


 

 

 

With a snap of his fingers he revealed the energy if his pupils and revealed the energy of himself.

  


 

 

 

 

The energies extended outward blazing like fire.

  


 

 

 

"you know the shape Neku's energy was just a few feet away from being this big." he remarked laid back

  


 

 

 

"Neku was almost as strong as you?" she asked in shock

  


 

 

 

"well, more like, almost as strong as Joshua. If he really wanted to, Neku could have easily become the next Composer of Shibuya by defeating Joshua, and if really wanted to, ascend to the Angel rank. By the end of the game, his mind was very powerful thanks to you all, and now we'll start your training to get you one step closer to bringing him back" Mr. H said smiling.

  


 

 

To be continued…


	15. Sorrow

 

Mr. H then caused their energies to disappear and taught Beat and Rhyme how to heal themselves with Angel energy. He then told the here friends that the next lesson would be extremely useful for when they enter the Demon Realm.

  
  
  


"The next thing I'll teach you is how to generate gold Angel energy, this energy, much like Neku's red Demon energy, can be used to unlock barriers and as another form of energy for attacking." he explained

  
  
  
  
  


"this energy, just like with many things in the Higher Plane is activated by your mind. You just need to focus on how you want the energy to become gold and then it'll happen." he intructed   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Remember that this energy is not as strong as your other Angel Energy, the energy that Phones and I have put inside you guys. So you should only use this to unlock the barrier that'll lead you to the Demon Lord's cathedral." Mr. H said with his hands in his pockets

  
  
  
  
  


Shiki then looked at Mr. H confused  
  


  
  
  


"huh? How come you know so much about the Demon Realm and Demons Mr. H?" she asked

  
  
  


He then scratched his head and chuckled

  
  


"well that's cause I've had to gather information on them for the Higher Ups, to check up on the Demons and their realm to try to preserve the peace we once had with them." he replied

  
  
  


"whoa really?" Rhyme exclaimed

  
  
  


"yup it's all true kiddo, I've been around for a while so I know a lot about them. So go on, try to activate that energy." he said smiling

  
  
  
  


They then closed their eyes and did as Mr. H had instructed them

  
  
  


They began to generate white Angel energy and felt their hands tingling, the moment they felt this they all opened their eyes to see the energy become gold.

  
  


"Bwaaaah! So wid this we can go find Phones yo?" Beat exclaimed

  
  
  


"Hah hah you bet. Now you three will be able to find his lair easily." he said smiling

  
  
  


At long last their training was almost done, Mr. H then taught them how to convert their bodies into balls of light, enabling them to travel to different sections of the Demon Realm, and Higher Plane faster.   
  
  
  
  
  
He also mentioned that if they were in the RG that this transformation would help them get back to the Higher Plane faster.

 

 

 

After thanking Mr. H for his help they then prepared to go back to their district.

  
  


However, as this was happening Joshua saw Eri walking towards Miyashita park…and saw her walking towards the train tracks.

  
  


"ugh don't tell me she's going to…" Joshua thought

  
  


He then let out a frustrated groan

  
  
  


"Why are humans so impulsive?! She's not supposed to die yet…and…I can't interfere with the RG too much or else the humans might suspect something. doesn't she realize what she's about to do?!"

  
  


Joshua then snapped his fingers and returned to his human form.

  


He then crossed his arms and sighed

  


"Look's like…we'll have a new arrival soon." he muttered

 

 

 

Eri walked on the train tracks and came to a sudden stop, she pulled put her cell phone and checked what time it was on it.

 

"4:10 pm" she thought

  


"it's a good thing the trains in Shibuya are like clockwork arriving at the exact same time they're scheduled to. Just a bit longer… four-fifteen…that's when the next train comes"

  
  


Joshua then let out a frustrated groan

  
  


"I could slow down the train…I could make it come later…I could maybe even push her out of the way but… she's already planned her course of action…I'm meant to kill humans not save them." he thought

  
  
  


Joshua, annoyed slightly then turns away, not wanting to see what would happen next to Eri. She looked at her phone to see the picture of her and Shiki set up as the background for her phone and closed her eyes.

  
  


"Shiki…I'm coming" she thought as she closed her eyes

  
  


the last thing she heard was the screeching of the train as it desperately tried to stop, but it was too late.

  
  


Eri then found herself in the White Room, and then same foggy universe place that her friends did and was eventually brought into the sky where she collapsed in the HP Shibuya.

  
  


At that moment Shiki, Beat and Rhyme had all teleported themselves back to their district only to notice a familiar face.

  
  
  


As Shiki transformed back to her spirit form she then saw a girl with pink hair in the distance. The mere sight of it caused her to become extremely pale and her eyes to widen

  
  
  


"Yo Shiki, you okay?" Beat remarked noticing her shock

  
  


"yeah what's wrong Shiki?" Rhyme asked

  


"I…I think…no…she CAN'T be here! If she is than that would mean…" Shiki cried as her voice began to break

  
  


She then began to walk over to the pink haired girl,  and then bursted into a run as tears flew past her, as Beat and Rhyme ran after her and lowered her energy so she could be seen by her.

  
  
  


As she ran closer, she knew if she had a heart beat, that her heart would be pounding right now. She and the others then slowed down into a walk as they stood infront of Eri

  
  


"No! it's…it's really her…Eri." she thought

  
  


"Eri?" Shiki exclaimed

  
  


She then looked to see her seamstress friend who was also transparent like her

  
  
  


"What happened to you?" she asked "why do you look so…different?"

  
  


Eri then hanged her head

  
  


"I…I missed all of you. I just wanted to see you guys again. It…it became so hard, just to live. Every day I'd walk around Shibuya feeling like I'm supposed to see you, Neku, Beat and Rhyme wondering the streets too. But…YOU'RE NOT THERE!" she cried

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"and Ai and Mina…losing so many people so fast I…I just lost sight of who I was. I didn't want to wear the clothes I made anymore. It reminded me of you Shiki! Everything changed, my parents made me get therapy and…I tried to cope but…I just…I wanted to see you again" she said weakly

  
  


"So… you...you got yourself killed?" Shiki asked disheartened

  
  


"Yeah…I guess. I…I just wanted you to forgive me Shiki." she said raising her head

  
  


"forgive you?" Shiki said confused

 

 

 

 

 

"Neku's always been a better friend to you than me, he helped you understand the importance of being yourself. Sure he hasn't known you as long as I have, but he helped you be happy." she said sadly  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I never knew the pain, and sadness I made you feel, how it made you become jealous of me. When I told you that you weren't meant to be a designer I didn't mean it like that…I didn't mean to hurt you…I really didn't!"

  
  


Eri then began to cry

  
  
  


"Please! Please forgive me Shiki! I never meant for you to think I'm perfect…I just--

  
  
  


Shiki then smiled at her and chuckled

  
  


"I know you never meant that. I saw you talking to Mina while I was in the UG remember? You said that you wished that you could've said you were sorry. That you didn't mean to hurt me and, I understand that now." Shiki said smiling  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"When I saw you actually say that, I couldn't believe it. I thought that you got tired of me. So…to know that you feel this way Eri…I hate it. This isn't you." she said sweetly

  
  
  


Shiki then generated her white Angel energy and held Eri's hand and closed her eyes.

  
  
  


"huh? Shiki what are you doing?" Eri asked

  
  
  
  


"Getting my friend back" she replied

  
  
  
  
  
  


"I want Eri to be happy again, I want her to be herself again" Shiki thought

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


As she thought this, Eri's eyes became more clear and bright, the dark circles under her eyes went away and her hair looked brushed and stylized again. And for the final touch, when Shiki opened her eyes, Eri had her old clothes again.

  
  
  
  


Feeling like herself again Eri couldn't help but look in shock, but then smile

  
  
  
  


"Shiki what did you do?!" she exclaimed happily

  
  
  


"I repaired your mind and energy to make you happy again" Shiki replied

  
  
  


"Huh? What're you talking about?" Eri said confused

  
  
  


Feeling like this would be a good moment to join in on the conversation, Rhyme lead Beat over to them and helped Shiki explain everything as they walked to Shiki and Neku's fused house.

  
  


When they finally finished explaining everything the four friends were all in Shiki's room.

  
  
  
  


"so…this is really the afterlife…we're all dead, you learned how to become Angels by training with a guy named Sanae Hanekoma, or Mr. H for short, and…Neku's in trouble…he's become a Demon?" Eri asked weakly trying to take everything in

  
  


"yeah...but that's why we went through that training, to become strong enough to bring Neku back" Shiki said strongly

  
  
  
  


"It must be really bad huh? You guys look so serious" Eri remarked

  
  
  
  
  


"it really is Eri, that's why when Neku comes to take over the Higher Plane in his invasion, you've gotta hide okay? You're a newborn Spirit or, Fledgling, as they're nicknamed. We are too, but we have more experience in fighting. So you can't let Neku see you cause then--

  
  
  
  
  


Rhyme then hanged her head afraid of telling Eri what could happen to her

  
  
  
  


"well let me help, I wanna help save Neku too!" she exclaimed

  
  
  


"Dressy girl…uh…Eri, you can't yo. You jus' got here. You ain't strong enough to fight Phones." Beat said sadly

  
  
  


"So…I can't help?" Eri said feeling hurt

  
  
  
  


"Eri, you can help Neku by staying safe. You know how much it would hurt him if he found out he hurt you as a Demon? Plus it's like what Rhyme said, since you're a New Born Soul…you…

  
  
  


Shiki then hanged her head

  
  


"Shiki I can take it, please I want to know what could happen to me!" Eri said strongly

  
  
  


Shiki then wiped a tear from her face and raised her head to Eri

  
  


"Neku's mentally insane as a Demon now Eri, he doesn't remember us anymore. If you tried to fight him the way you are now…he'd…he'd kill you." she said darkly

  
  
  


"No! Neku's…Neku's really that far gone?" Eri said sadly

  
  
  
  
  


"yeah, but don'tchu worry yo! I'mma pound that demon witch outta Phones and he'll be his music lovin', graffiti lovin' self again, count on it yo!" Beat said strongly

  
  
  
  
  
  


Eri then smiled at Beat's confidence and sighed

  
  
  


"Okay…I'll stay here then when the invasion starts, so I'll keep myself safe." she said sweetly

  
  
  
  


As this discussion took place in the HP Shibuya, Damien was being pampered by his servants with Akemi serving him grapes, and Hikaru brushing his hair once more and then they were dismissed. After that, he then discussed his plan with his Watchman telling him that he's made up his mind for when the false invasion will start.

  
  
  


"tell the Heathens and Scouters that the fake invasion will start soon, and to get ready for the Fledglings that are going to invade the Demon Realm." he said slyly

  
  
  
  
  


"Consider it done sir" Izawa said strongly

  
  
  


"Very good. Now you must also keep in mind that plans need to be flexible, and adjust to change for them to be successful. so, should I encounter Sanae and Joshua during my fake invasion, tell them, that I'll kill the Composer of Shibuya and his Angel there in the Higher Plane and that they'll be on stand by." the Demon Lord instructed  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Then I'll destroy their realm and send a red orb to the cathedral and the Trail of Tears as my signal, letting them know that I have won…but don't forget to emphasize that this is only going into effect if I see I have a chance to kill them." Damien said sternly

  
  
  
  
  


"Of course sir. Are you sure you wish to handle the situation on your own? I'd be more than happy to fight alongside you, and so would Akemi and Hikaru, sir." Izawa said bowing to Damien

  
  
  
  
  


He then smiled at his watchman revealing his shark teeth

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"As tempting as the offer is, I'm sure. But that was a rather generous offer you proposed. Still deep down, I truly want my plan of luring those Fledglings here to come to be." he admitted  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"After all, every battle needs a rising action that leads to the climax. And I especially am looking forward to making that girl drop her guard, to…mess with her head a little, and then when she's unsure of what to do…I'll make her suffer a slow painful death." Damien said thrilled

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"then I'll kill those other fools, one by one, till they all face Soul Obstruction. With that rising action out of the way, then the climax will take place where I'll kill Sanae Hanekoma and their little Composer Yoshiya Kiryu, Joshua."  he said with a sly grin  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"It'll be fun to see that once powerful Composer brought to his knees as he begs for me to spare his afterlife…and when he does this…my answer will be…no." he announced as he held his glass of wine in his hand

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


"Heh heh, alright fair enough sir, I can see you seem to be enjoying this. I'm glad. After all what's the point of defeating your enemy without enjoying their anguish?" Izawa said smiling

  
  
  


"I'll go let them know now" he added as he rose to his feet

  
  
  
  


"Very good Izawa, I'm looking forward to expanding the Demon Realm with you along my side." Damien said slyly

  
  
  


"As am I sir" Izawa replied

  
  


He then snapped his fingers and dissolved into smoke

  
  
  


When that happened Damien then closed his eyes and began to speak telepathically

 

 

"Akemi, Hikaru, I would like you both to come see me" he said mentally

 

 

in an instant, the servants then teleported over to Damien

 

 

"What is it Lord Damien?" Akemi askes sweetly

 

 

"Yes, how may we be of service to you?" Hikaru asked

 

 

Damien then smiled

 

"first of all, I would like to thank you all for your services. You both have been very kind to me, making me feel like a true ruler of this place, despite how new I am to being a Demon Lord. It is also thanks to you both that I learned about the history of the past Demon Lords and Mistresses, helping me understand what I am now apart of." he said showing gratitude

 

"It is because of this, that should anything beyond my control occur and my false invasion backfires, I want you both to make sure to fight with all your strength. You two and Izawa have served many Lords and Misteresses in the past, and I want that tradition to continue no matter what. I shall lure the Fledgling spirits to the Demon Realm, and I'm trusting you both to be the last line of defense alongside Izawa. I trust your strength" he said with a smile

 

the two servants then looked at each other and smiled and then looked back at Damien and bowed

 

 

"Thank you my lord. I'm glad you see us in such a high regard" Akemi said sweetly

 

 

"yes, thank you so much for believing in us! We'll do whatever it takes, but I would hope your invasion doesn't fail lord Damien. You've put so much time and care into planning all of this. We wish you nothing but the best!" Hikaru added

 

 

Damien then bowed too as a sign of respect

 

 

"That is what I'm counting on. Rest assured, I want the Invasion to succeed as well, but it never hurts to prepare for unforeseen circumstances of course. I'm counting on you all for the back up plan" He said with a kind tone

 

the servants were then dismissed and Damien sat back on his throne chair. At the moment this happened in the Demon Realm, Mr. H picked up Damien's hostile presence. He knew that it wouldn't be much longer.

  
  
  
  


"No!" he thought "the invasion's going to start soon, the Higher Ups need to know."

  


He then summoned his Angel wings and flew over to Joshua

  
  


"Boss! You know what's happening too right?" he exclaimed

  
  


"Yes…I know. And we both know what we have to do to Neku…it's too late Mr. H, I know you wanted to see of you could stop the invasion from happening but now…Neku Sakuraba…

  


Joshua actually struggled to finish his sentence

  


"…Can no longer exist"

  


Seeing this concern shocked Mr. H, he's never seen Joshua so wound up over some one before. Especially a measly human. He knows that he himself is Joshua's only true friend, or at least it seems that way.

  
  


Joshua then had a flashback of them being in the UG, the time when Joshua revealed he was the Composer to Neku

  
  


"I…I thought I finally had a friend I could relate to! …but it was YOU, you killed me!"

_  
  
  
  
  
  
_

"Joshua? You okay sport?" Mr. H exclaimed

  
  
  


"yes I'm fine. …Mr. H the Higher Ups need to know what he's going to do." Joshua reminded Mr. H trying to avoid talking about his concerns

  
  
  
  


"yeah, I'll be back in a bit Josh" Mr. H said laid back pretending to not notice the massive amount of worry Joshua feels.

  
  


He then teleported to the Higher Ups where he told them of how Neku's Demon form was preparing to attack soon.

  
  
  


"it's rather unfortunate that it's come to this, but you know that you're little pupils are too late, you couldn't have prevented this Sanae, and when the invasion begins, they  _can't_  fight him." Aiden said sternly  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"They don't have Guardian Angel status like you…technically fallen Guardian Angel, but a Guardian none the less. They don't have the ranking of being one of our soldiers like you do. They cannot face him." one of the Maestros told him

  
  


"I understand" Mr. H replied

  


As he returned to the Composer Domain

  
  


He saw Joshua deep in thought remembering another time he was in the UG with Neku.

  
  


"There was that taboo kangaroo Noise that tried to attack Neku from behind…we fought alongside each other to kill the Noise. But…I was just protecting him to win my bet…same goes for the moment when I protected Neku from Minamimoto's level I flare." the frustrated Composer thought  
  
  
  
  
  
"Even if I did, humans are worthless little creatures…even if I too, am a human, I'm not the regular human I once was, just a regular person living in Shibuya. I am beyond mankind." he thought trying to reassure himself  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I didn't really have to protect Neku if I hadn't made that deal. I could easily have let him die at any time in the Reapers' Game…still…he…he trusts me. A human befriending a Composer?! That just doesn't happen...Mr. H is...different though. He befriended me when I was just a normal human...but not with Neku. So why should I help him?" Joshua thought sternly

  
  


"He said he was tempted to erase me in the UG. And even when he fused his soul with mine, repairing it a little every time he used the Harmonizer pin…we'd argue, even then. Heh heh it was kinda fun messing with him."

  
  


"UGH! Don't think like that!" he said aloud

  
  
  


"I see why now the Higher Ups made it a rule for the Composer to not be a Player in the Reapers' Game. It can become too personal." he thought

  
  


"am I really getting attached to my Proxy? Neku…you're…you're my... _friend_?! But that can't be, I was just there to protect my Proxy, to  _use_  him as my pawn, my tool to destroy Shibuya…nothing more."


	16. The False Invasion

 

Joshua was haunted by more memories of him and Neku…he began to wonder if they'd ever stop

 

 

"Why can't these thoughts go away?!" he thought

 

 

"Is this what it's like to have a conscience and not be a murderous little demon? Why? Why can't these thoughts and images of me being there for him go away?!"

 

 

He then had a flashback to when Neku panicked having nowhere to run from Sho's level I flare. he remembered Neku squeezing his hair between his headphones screaming

 

 

_"Crap! There's nowhere to run!"_

 

 

 

And how he saved Neku while he was in that state of panic, seeing Neku overwhelmed he then pushed him out of the way remembering that shocked look on his face, almost as if Neku wasn't expecting him to do that.

 

 

_"But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose. give up on yourself and you give up on the world."_

 

 

"If it wasn't for the fact that I was protecting him to make sure I'd win and destroy Shibuya, I could've easily let him die there. After all I was already beyond his way of living, beneath that human skin he saw was my real form. I'm immortal." Joshua thought trying to be detached

 

 

"All I'd have to do is teleport back to the Higher Plane before being erased and then he'd be gone…but still…I was also there to make my proxy wiser, to help make his soul powerful enough to kill Megumi." he thought again

 

 

 

Joshua then sighed

 

 

"I need to focus on killing more humans and bringing them here when they're meant to. That ought to stop these annoying thoughts." he muttered

 

 

As Joshua monitored the humans in the RG Neku was alone in his room again…

 

 

"I wonder if my body's healed enough to get more energy from Clarissa. Only one way to find out…but no, I shouldn't just ask yet…I need to make sure I'm well enough. And…I need to be ready for when they come for me." Neku thought a little worried

 

 

"I'll be able to handle it right? My body's a Demon Lord my power's on par with the Composer…whatever that thing really is." he thought

 

 

 

Neku then gazed outside his window to see the full moon that Clarissa had originally created for him to see her easier.

 

 

"heh, it's funny" he thought "with all this preparation for the invasion of those evil spirits coming, and with me absorbing Clarissa's energy…I've never been able to really sit back and look at the moon like this."

 

 

He then had a trouble thought race to his head

 

 

"Will I be able to do this again? Something…so simple. Giving my mind to her…it's perfectly safe. She said so…but still. Anything can happen, even when a plane's on auto-pilot there's still a chance of it crashing into something right? …ugh…no…enjoy every moment with all you've got…right?"

 

 

 

Neku then sat up on his bed and hanged his head

 

 

"I wish I could live life like the way you promote it CAT. You…you understand me…to live in a world free of labels, people pushing their values on them. To live life the way I want to…and not be pressured into doing something I don't want to" he thought sadly

 

 

Neku then couldn't help but chuckle at his next thought

 

 

"I…I wish I knew you. Heh heh, but then if I did, everyone in Shibuya would know you, and then you wouldn't be able to get away with spray painting graffiti there. But at least graffiti's become more accepted now in Shibuya like that store that sells spray paint cans for graffiti, Still Diggin." the teen thought a little happy

 

 

"Plus it's near Udagawa, so I'd be able to check out the tag mural there before going to the store. When this is all over…will I ever get my body back? But….still that would mean opening the door."

 

 

"I can't" he said weakly

 

 

"I can't leave this place… if I do then…Clarissa won't be able to protect me from the world. …I don't want to open up to people. This is how I'll be safe… after all, I can still enjoy the moment while I'm here in this room…right?" he thought again

 

 

At that moment Clarissa appeared startling him from him being so wrapped up in his thoughts, causing Neku to gasp

 

 

"I'm sorry for scaring you Neku but there's something you need to know. Remember how I said your body's going to try to stop the evil spirits' invaison?" she asked as she sat on his bed

 

 

"Y--yeah I do" he replied

 

 

"well I have a feeling that he's going to make his move soon. Do you remember what we talked about before?" she said sweetly

 

 

"yeah…to give you my mind if I feel overwhelmed" he said weakly

 

 

"Are you sure you still want to do it?" she asked

 

 

"yeah…I'm sure." he said while hanging his head

 

 

"it's all happening so fast" he thought.

 

 

As Neku reassured himself of his decision, Damien was coming with decisions on how to execute his "talk" with the spirits of the Higher Plane…

 

 

"Alright, in order for the illusion of the invasion to be a success, I'll have to make it look like more than one demon is arriving at the Higher Plane. Hmmm, in order to do that, I'll have to create a lot of clones in order for the illusion to seem real." he thought

 

 

This devious little idea then made him smile

 

 

"heh, alright then, that'll be simple."

 

 

He then rose from his chair and prepared to clone himself.

 

 

As this happened in the Demon Realm.

 

 

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme were able to finally take a break and enjoy themselves by showing Eri around the afterlife version of the city. Shiki then happily told her who made the city.

 

 

"whoa…Neku made this with his mind?! He did this just by missing us and Shibuya?" she asked amazed

 

 

"heh heh yup, that's the power of a Higher Mind. A person with really strong imagination. Only people with really strong imagination are able to become the Composer." Shiki exclaimed smiling

 

 

 

"and it's cause of how strong Neku's soul is that he helped strengthen my soul in the UG every time we did a fusion attack, which combines the souls of the partners using it, and it helped heal Neku's soul too. So, the more powerful the Fusion Attack, the stronger your connection is!" she added

 

 

"That's why Fusion Attacks go up to three levels. From Neku fighting alongside me as we would teleport slashing at the Noise, to my mind making Mr. Mew a giant we rode on that would beat up the Noise, with little Mr. Mew clones attacking too, to him becoming so massive, he was like a giant monster and could shoot lasers from his eyes! All of that, was from our connection!" she said happily

 

 

"That's so cool! So then Joshua and Beat had three Fusions too?" Eri asked smiling

 

 

"That's right! Joshua's were really crazy from what Neku told me about them, and now I understand why since Joshua is a god. His Fusions went from him and Neku smashing the Noise with dozens of objects with Psychokineses, to throwing huge ice beams and fireballs at the Noise, with the final level being apparently, like Neku was in outter space. He said he felt weightless and threw actual asteroids at the Noise! Shiki added

 

 

"Beat's were cool too! He would teleport with Neku over and over slashing the Noise with their first fusion, like mine, to then grinding on chains to attack the Noise and then, surfing to smash the Noise with a giant wave!" Shiki said with a huge grin

 

 

"man those fusion attacks sound amazing! to think you guys were merging your very existence with each other. It's no wonder he cared about you guys so much, and the Composer's the one who would run the game right?" Eri asked

 

 

 

"That's right…but now…because of how strong Neku's mind and soul is, he was targeted by the Demons…and you know what happened after that." she said darkly squeezing Mr. Mew

 

 

"yeah…" Eri said hanging her head

 

 

Rhyme, noticing how the mood changed smiled and tried to cheer them up

 

 

"it's okay remember? We'll save Neku. We've trained like crazy to get him back, and now we're ready." She said strongly

 

 

Shiki and Eri then smiled and giggled

 

 

"yeah you're right Rhyme, I know you three can do this." she said happily

 

 

 

As they all walked happily around Shibuya, each one of them was filled with confidence that they'll bring their friend back. Eri, still wishing she could help tells them that she wish she came to the Higher Plane sooner but understands that she needs to not face Soul Obstruction for Neku's sake.

 

 

Shiki then told her that when the invasion happens that she and Beat and Rhyme will have to bring their energy back up to the point Eri won't be able to be with them.

 

 

"so when it happens I'll just have to stay low and keep myself safe?" she asked

 

 

"yeah! remember you'll be helping us out too by keeping yourself safe." Rhyme reminded her.

 

 

"I'm glad, and don't worry I will. Heh heh I can't wait for Neku to be himself again." Eri said smiling.

 

 

As they walked around Shibuya some more, Damien figured it was finally time to initiate the false invasion.

 

 

He looked at all of his clones and smiled

 

 

"alright in order for this to work, all of us will have to unleash our energy at once for the illusion to be complete. Simple enough right?" Damien said slyly

 

 

The clones all smiled back and nodded in understanding.

 

 

"Izawa" the real Demon Lord said telepathically

 

 

"tell every one to get ready"

 

 

"of course sir" Izawa replied back

 

 

At this moment in Damien's mind Neku saw Clarissa appear once more.

 

 

"Neku it's time. Damien's plan is about to start." she said darkly

 

 

"are you ready for this?" she asked sweetly

 

 

"yeah…I am" Neku replied

 

 

"on the count of three" the real Demon Lord instructed the clones

 

 

"One…two…three" he exclaimed

 

 

At that moment he and all of his clones instantly snapped their fingers unleashing their energy making black fire appear around all the clones.

 

 

As this happened in the Demon realm Beat, Shiki, and Rhyme all felt his presence, causing them to get headaches

 

 

"No! Eri you gotta get back to the house Neku and I made, hurry!" Shiki cried

 

 

"it's happening Eri you gotta keep yourself safe!" Rhyme said reminding her why she needs to stay there.

 

 

"okay! be careful you guys!" Eri yelled as she ran to the house

 

 

"we will yo!" Beat cried back

 

 

"C'mon man let's do this yo!" Beat cried

 

 

"yeah!" Rhyme exclaimed

 

 

They all snapped their fingers and teleported themselves to the Enlightens' district to see Mr. H and all the other Composers and Guardian Angels there.

 

 

"Mr. H!" they all exclaimed

 

 

"Hey guys, guess you felt it too huh? Get ready, they're coming. Before they do, listen up. Although you're all as strong as me now, you lack my experience. You never got the chance to even kill a Demon, at least then you'd be Arch Angels, angels with battle experience. And you don't have a Guardian Angel ranking, making you sort of like a soldier for the Higher Ups, so when Phones gets here, the Guardian and Arch Angels and Composers will handle him. You guys take on the weaker Demons." he exclaimed darkly

 

 

"What?! But that ain't fair yo! We trained so hard man and now we can't--

 

 

"there's no time to argue Beat, I'm sorry. Right now you need to focus, he'll be here any second." Mr. H said sharply

 

 

Seeing him so serious, something so unlike the laid back Angel, made them all see ho dangerous the situation really was.

 

 

He then turned over to his left to see Joshua next to him snapping his fingers to go into his Composer form.

 

 

"You know what we have to do Mr. H" Joshua said sternly

 

 

"yeah I know…" he replied

 

 

"I was too late" Mr. H thought "Neku…I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you…that I broke my promise to you."

 

 

They then all waited patiently for the "demons" to arrive

 

 

As this happened in the Enlighten's realm,

 

 

Eri saw through the window of Shiki's bedroom that a barrier was being set up around the entire city.

 

 

"is it starting now?" she thought "please, please stay safe guys. And come back with Neku"

 

 

At the moment the barrier was set up in the HP Shibuya, Joshua noticed the barrier was made of Angel energy from the realm he and everyone else was in.

 

"you sure it'll hold?" he asked Mr. H

 

 

"yeah, that way if any Demon tries to be sneaky and make their way there to kill Fledglings, that'll keep them out." Mr. H answered

 

 

Seeing everyone in their true forms made Rhyme a little nervous

 

 

"this is really happening" she thought "it's come down to this moment, we almost got ourselves killed trying to get stronger to save Neku…and now. It's finally time"

 

 

She then took a deep breath and released it slowly

 

 

They were all filled with intensity as the moment they waited for finally arrived… a red portal that was black at the center had appeared. From within it only one demon walked out of it.

 

 

"What!?" Joshua thought "But we all felt the presence of multiple demons! Mr. H do you know what's going on?"

 

 

"Not a clue" he said aloud replying to Joshua's thoughts

 

 

"No! this…this can't be right! There was suppose to be an invasion…but only he's here!" Shiki thought

 

 

"What the hell?! What's goin' on yo?! I don't get it man!" Beat screamed in his head

 

 

"it's…it's just him" Rhyme said aloud "Neku…"

 

 

Pleased with all their startled faces Damien couldn't help but smile.

 

 

He then walked towards them with each step echoing as his shoes hit the glass floor. Once he walked a bit closer to the army of Angels and Gods of Death, he then stopped and bowed, placing his left hand on his chest and his right one on his back.

 

 

"Greetings, my fellow immortals. I understand that you're all in quite a shock over my appearance. But rest assured, there's no need for alarm." he said slyly

 

 

He then walked again, getting closer analyzing the faces of the Angels and Composers. Having only seen Mr. H's true human form, he was able to spot him instantly.

 

"good…Sanae is here. But I can't act yet. not unless Shibuya's Composer is here, will I consider this a new opportunity. I'll have to keep an eye on Sanae...if he's here, than maybe through a stroke of luck, he's with the Composer of Shibuya as well." he thought

 

 

Picking up on those thoughts Mr. H warned Joshua whispering

 

 

"Josh, he's targeting us. He already knows what I look like in my true form, but not yours. Take advantage of that."

 

 

"Don't worry I will" Joshua answered back

 

 

"I'm merely here to have a talk with you all." Damien continued

 

 

"The invasion had been canceled, I'm here to negotiate certain terms with you. As you all are aware, I wish to expand the Demon realm. It's gotten rather…crowded during the past millennia and I'm here on behalf of my kind to humbly ask you to consider this fact and give us some of the Higher Plane's territory."

 

 

Mr. H suspecting something sinister beneath Damien's politeness crossed his arms.

 

 

 

"you know as well as I do that, that can't be done. The agreement we Angels and Composers made with you Demons was that you had your world, and we had ours. You can't just come here expecting us to simply hand over a district of the Higher Plane to you." Mr. H said sternly

 

 

Damien then sighed and shook his head

 

 

"here I am going out of my way for my kind to try to talk to you all, and yet…it's worthless. None of you wish to help us. Sure we Demons did some wrong things in the past, but so did your kind." Damien said slyly

 

 

"It was you horrid little Guardian Angels that killed the first Demon Lord. All he wanted was to purify the afterlife and start a revolution where the entire afterlife would be free of you cocky annoying creatures. You and your superiority,killing countless Spirits with the Angels' Game, where Angels and Composers punish Spirits by making them face Soul Obstruction." he snarled

 

 

Damien then placed his hands in his pockets hidden beneath his tuxedo's jacket and chuckled

 

 

"Your kind _makes me sick._ You're the real monsters not us… but enough talk. I can see now that only murder is the way to communicate with you all. Since that's what your kind is good at."

 

 

Damien then let's out a huge grin showing the dozens of teeth he has.

 

 

"and so it finally begins…" he thought

 

 

In the blink of an eye, he teleported himself to the numerous Angels and Composers slashing the ones closest to him.

 

 

"GRRRR! SELF-RIGHTEOUS MURDEREEEEERS!" he screamed as he killed the weaker Angels.

 

 

They then all flew to him attacking Neku's Demon form with a barrage of Angel orbs, lightning, and fire all raining down towards him.

 

 

He then retaliated by unleashing a ray of black demon energy at them causing the Angels and Composers to scatter in an attempt to dodge his attack including Neku's former friends.

 

 

 

As result this then caused them to retaliate with the Composers unleashing rays of energy at him. With some of them slashing him at blinding speeds to the extent they looked as if they were teleporting around him with Joshua being one of them. Similar to Rhyme's speed attack.

 

 

This then caused Damien to unleash a dome of black Demon energy exploding sending the Composers flying from the impact, causing them to go into their orb form and unleash more rays of energy at them.

 

 

He then counterattacks them by teleporting away from them while simultaneously summoning four black pillars of energy around him and eventually launching them at the Composers. Making Joshua get a flashback of the attack Neku used on the Conductor.

 

 

"Neku?" Joshua thought

 

 

"Boss!" Mr. H exclaimed

 

 

He then teleported over to him and shielded Joshua from the attack. But it came at a price. It took to much out of Mr. H to take the blow that he reverted back to his human form making him vulnerable.

 

 

"I need to reserve my energy" he thought

 

 

"Mr. H? why did you--

 

 

"you need to focus boss!" Mr. H cried

 

 

Seeing the attack from afar Beat, Shiki and Rhyme prepared to fly to him to help him

 

 

"Don't worry about me, I've faced a lot of demons before. Just watch each other's back." Mr. H yelled looking over to them

 

 

"Mr. H! he's in front of you!" Joshua cried

 

 

But the moment Mr. H looked back to see the threat, it was too late. Damien had stabbed Mr. H's human form in the stomach with his left hand, causing him to let out a scream of pain and then choked him with his right hand

 

 

"heh heh, never let your guard down Sanae. You made a grave mistake doing that. All I have to do is stab you a little bit deeper and you'll die…and you know what happens when a Composer or Angel is killed in their human form." Damien said slyly.

 

 

Mr. H seeing that it had come to this felt a tear go down his left cheek as he charged up his instant kill move that he taught Beat in his left hand.

 

 

"Neku…I'm so sorry." he thought

 

 

Damien then squeezed Mr. H's throat even tighter, making the angel's human form wheeze, as he got ready to strangle him. As Mr. H prepared to kill his friend Joshua watched in shock

 

 

enraged by Mr. H being in so much pain, knowing how dangerous it is for him to be in this near-death situation as a human, did an extremely risky move. He knew if he didn't do it just right, that Mr. H would die.

 

 

Joshua then grabbed Mr. H's left arm and screamed

 

 

"you are done!"

 

 

He then pulled Mr. H away from Damien and unleashed a massive amount of energy from his right hand. He knew if the angle was off even just a few inches it'd hit his friend.

 

 

When Damien teleported away from the blast he then saw Beat Shiki and Rhyme all charging up energy as they flew towards him.

 

 

He then shot red Demon energy at Shiki's left wing causing her to scream in pain as flew down towards the floor desperately trying to regain balance. Luckily for her Panther Mr. Mew was already on the ground when the fight went air born and caught her.

 

 

 

This then caused Beat and Rhyme to fly over to their demonic friend only to have them strangled and electrocuted be him and fly back from the recoil. seeing this as another attempt to kill Joshua and Mr. H he then teleported to the Guardian Angel and Composer of Shibuya

 

 

 

Spotting him, Mr. H returned to his true form (since he's able to endure pain very well, he had already recovered from Damien's attack) and then he and Joshua flew towards their former friend, knowing that they had to kill him.

 

 

they shot Angel and Composer energy at him only to have Damien create a dome of demon energy and then blast the energy away from him making them charge to him attempting to slash him with their energy engulfing their hands.

 

 

the Demon Lord then dodges the swipes and shoots them both with demon energy making them block the attack with their energy. this then made Damien teleport behind them in a split second while simultaneously shooting them with energy, making them look back and block his energy with their's again.

 

 

Once Damien's energy dissolved, he then became black mist that flew into Joshua's chest sending him crashing to the ground. As Joshua struggled to get up, Damien stood in front of him, charging black lightning in his left hand.

 

 

Before he could strike Mr. H then tackled him from behind making them roll on the ground multiple times until Damien laid on his back with Mr. H ontop of him and punched him in the face multiple times. Damien then blasts Mr. H away with a huge explosion of demon energy.

 

 

he then gets up and shoots demon energy at the vulnerable Guardian just when he had just recovered in the air causing Joshua to teleport infront of Mr. H and snapped his fingers making the ray of demon energy dissolve.

 

 

Joshua then blasts Composer energy to Damien making him leap into the air to dodge the attack.

 

 

 

He become a beam of black demon energy and then flew to the Death God, making Joshua become a beam of grayish white energy and clash with Damein.

 

 

but before Mr. H could fly to Joshua to help him, Damien flew away from Joshua's energy beam and became his normalself and snapped his fingers, creating a clone which shot demon energy at Mr. H again making him crash onto the ground.

 

 

 

the Angels and Composers (along with Shiki and friends) all then flew to Damien blasting energy at him determined to help Mr. H and Joshua.

 

 

he dodges some of the blasts and then created a dome of demon energy blasting it at his enemies killing many of the Death Gods and some of the Angels that interfered. the ones who survived were blasted so far away that they couldn't interfere

 

 

Damien then slashed Mr. H only to have the Guardian blast him with Angel energy making him scream in pain. he then became a beam of light and slashed the clone of Damien from all angles determined to make it Fade so he could get to Joshua.

 

 

in the meantime the real Damien attacked Joshua with demon energy which engulfed his hands, stabbing his chest over and over determined to make him fade, causing him to wear an evil smile.

 

 

"Seeing how hard Sanae is trying to protect this one, this must be him! Just a little more Death God...Although, I'm not one-hundred percent certain. This could just as easily be simply another friend of Sanae...still, I must take this chance to kill all Composers who are in the way, just in case" Damien thought darkly

 

 

Mr. H then became his Angel form and flew at clone Damien only to have the demon generate a long beam of demon energy in his right hand, it was like the Instant kill Shot, but thicker and with a dull tip to it, so he could stab Mr. H.

 

 

he then stabs Mr. H's stomach making Mr. H cringe in pain and teleport away from Damein.

 

 

 

he then generates the Instant Kill Shot in his left hand and charges to the clone. the two beings swung their energy at each other with clone Damien being a worthy opponent blocking all of Mr. H's attacks and Mr. H, blocking all of Damien's attacks.

 

 

Mr. H swung at clone Damien's head causing him to block the attack once again and teleported behind the clone while simutaniously stabbing him with the Instant Kill Shot making the clone dissolve into black orbs

 

 

"Hang in there Boss" Mr.H thought as he ran to Joshua

 

 

Joshua then fired a dome of energy sending Damien flying back rolling on the ground. while rolling he did a black flip and slid on the ground recoverging from the roll, Mr. H then flew beside Joshua.

 

 

"You okay Boss?" Mr. H said seriously

 

 

"Yeah...I can't power down. I can't let him see my other form" Joshua said sternly

 

 

"You're right, he knows what I look like in my human form but not you. we have to end this...I'm sorry I wish...we didn't have to do this" Mr. H said dakrly

 

 

 

they then flew to their former friend with Damein firing a massive blast of energy hitting them both making them wail in pain as they were smacked against the ground.

 

 

as much as he fought it, that blast of energy was so powerful that it overwhelmed them both making Mr. H and Joshua revert to their human form in battle. Seeing this then made Mr. H look at Joshua in shock, as the Composer wheezed in pain, he then turns back to Damien, to see an almost excited look.

 

 

"After all this time, all this preparation, at long last...my chance is here! Yoshiya Kiryu...Joshua. Now, the Composer of Shibuya, and his Guardian, shall die" the Demon lord thought exstatic

 

 

 

Horrified but what they had seen, Shiki, Beat, Rhyme and the other Angels and Composers flew to Mr. H and Joshua's aid but they all bumped into a barrier, Damien had his targets all to himself.

 

 

"Mr. H! Joshua!" Rhyme screamed

 

 

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine! Joshua's gonna be okay too!" Mr.H shouted not taking his eyes off of Damien,even for a second

 

 

regardless of all the agony he was in, Mr. H didn't even let out a whimper and valiantly charged at Damien with Angel energy as lightning in his hands and Joshua summoned orbs of Composer energy and flew to Damien.

 

 

 

They both blasted their attacks at Damien making him scream in pain as he rolled onto the ground as the energies burned him.

 

 

he then bac flips recovering from the attack and stabbed his dull tipped energy into Mr. H and Joshua making them both cringe in pain as Joshua and Mr. H began to leak orbs of their true form.

 

 

"I can't take this, for that much longer. this sword like energy drains the energy of whoever comes into contact with it...I feel it...it's making me...weak...this is just like those other demons, they could drain us too" Joshua thought

 

 

Damien, filled with excitement, couldn't help but smile as he then made the knife like energy electric, making bolts of black lightning shock Mr. H and Joshua, making them scream in pain as the lightning burned them, tearing their clothes apart and leaving them both covered in scratches and now, the energy of their true forms are tearing through their skin as massive holes.

 

 

The Demon Lord then smiled as he saw bowling ball sized white orbs outlined in gray leak out of Joshua and Mr. H, through their massive holes of energy and that their scratches, was their energy leaking out of them too.

 

 

as Damien (now covered in bruises and scratches with his clothes torn) was about to dig deeper, Shiki screamed with rage: "DON'T HURT THEM ANY MORE!" as she flew towards the barrier and other Angels and Composers flew to the barrier desperate to break it.

 

 

She generated gold Angel energy as it surged like lightning in her right hand as she was filled with determination to stop the fight and stop Neku.

 

 

 

"Neku! STOP IIIIIIT!" she screamed breaking the barrier with gold Angel energy

 

 

 

she then flew towards her demonic friend blocking him from Mr. H and Joshua cutting through his sword like energy, making his energy break apart, being merely a few inches from his face. their eyes met as Damien looked at her with an evil smile.

 

 

 

It was almost like he was impressed by what she did. Seeing how if she could break the barrier, realizing that then anyone else could if he were to set up another one, The Demon Lord then knew what he had to do now.

 

 

 

Damien then teleported away from the Angels and Composers realizing his plan to kill Mr. H and Joshua would have to go as he originally planned. There were too many enemies in the way for him to kill them so easily.

 

 

He then took a deep breath and sighed fully healing himself and returning his clothes to their undamaged state

 

 

"well it seems we'll never get along now will we?" he said slyly

 

 

He then held out his hand and opened up a portal again.

 

 

"I guess I'll see you all later." he said smiling as he walked inside it.

 

 

"guys now's our chance!" Shiki cried as she regained balance hovering, and preparing to fly into the portal

 

 

The three friends then all flew towards it so fast that their bodies became blurred as they flew inside it.

 

 

With a moment of peace now before them, Mr. H, Joshua and the remaining Composers and Angels all healed themselves

 

 

"Good luck guys...you can do this" Mr. H thought concerned for Shiki and friends

 

 

While they were within the portal they saw their friend flying towards the exit of it. It was like they were in a tunnel. Only instead of it being pitch black with a light at the end of it, it was red with black energy at the end of it.

 

 

Damien then initiated his original plan of luring the Fledglings to him. He then shot black lightning at them, electrocuting his former friends, making them scream in pain, causing them to fall out of the portal.

 

 

"No…Neku" Shiki said weakly

 

 

They then landed on the floor of a city that was broken, with a gravel covered road. And a forest of dead trees towards the outskirts of it. With black rain falling from the sky.

 

 

There they all laid unconscious in the lowest district of the Demon Realm, the Trail of Black Tears.


	17. Infiltration

 

Shiki, Beat and Rhyme wake up with their heads pounding to notice they're in an unfamiliar place…

  
  
  


"Nngh! You guys okay?" Shiki said weakly

  
  
  


"yeah…jus' a little sore yo." Beat answered

  
  
  


"Same here" Rhyme added

  
  
  


They all slowly rose to their feet to notice black rain falling from the sky and thought it'd be best to investigate where they are.

  
  
  


"So is this it? Is this the Demon Realm?" Shiki asked while she held Mr. Mew

  
  
  


"yeah…it has to be, Mr. H said we'd start at the lowest district, the trail of black tears…so this has to be it." Rhyme said remarking on the black rain

  
  
  
  


"yeah man jus' dis whole place is givin' me da creeps yo. I mean look at dis place, it's like a hurrcane went through here or sumfin." Beat added

  
  
  


They looked at the destructive scenery, noticing the familiar urban feel they've come to know was also in the district. But the sky scrapers they were surrounded by had all its glass shattered with cracks going up and down the buildings.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It gave off a sense of death, like nothing could survive in this kind of environment.

  
  
  
  
  


"it's kinda creepy huh?" Rhyme said remarking at the view

  
  
  


"yeah" Shiki replied

 

 

 

They walked around a bit more to try to find something that could lead them to Neku, to sort of give them a hint that they're heading in the right direction.

  
  
  


As they all walked around the district, Shiki noticed something familiar had caught her eye, something that made her heart sink.

  
  
  


"Guys…look…it's Neku's headphones." she said sadly

  
  
  


"yeah…that means that he was here at one point." Rhyme added

  
  
  


"But you said dat Phones was back to bein' his old self again yo. So wazup wid that?" Beat said confused

  
  
  
  


Shiki then hanged her head feeling her eyes water.

  
  
  


"I guess…I guess when Clarissa took over Neku, this is the spot where he completely gave up who he was. He did the one thing…that Neku…the real Neku would never do. He threw away everything that made him unique." she said squeezing Mr. Mew

  
  
  
  


She then felt someone put their hand on her left shoulder, causing her to look to her left.

  
  
  


"Shiki, we gonna get him back yo. So you ain't gotta worry, he'll be his music and graffiti lovin' self again. Dat's why we're here." Beat said strongly

  
  
  
  


"yeah…thanks Beat" Shiki said smiling.

  
  
  


At that moment Rhyme noticed the sound of foot steps

  
  
  


"guys someone's coming!" she cried

  
  
  
  


They then looked for somewhere to hide and noticed that there was a forest of dead trees towards the outskirts of the city and dissolved into their orb forms and flew over to the trees, where they went back to their spirit forms and hid close to the ground.

  
  
  


"Is it just me, or did you hear voices just now?" a male Scouter asked a female Scouter.

  
  
  
  


"nope I heard them too, it sounded like three spirits were here. I could also sense that they weren't Demons and you know what that means." she replied

  
  
  
  


"of course I do" he replied

  
  
  


The six Scouters began searching for the spirits invading the Trail of Black Tears.

  
  
  
  


Meanwhile as this happened Damien left his portal to enter his throne room and sat on his chair to see Izawa also arriving in the room.

  
  
  
  


"Sir, everyone is ready and in position." he said bowing to him.

  
  
  


"That's wonderful news Watchman, I regret to inform you that I wasn't able to kill Sanae or Joshua, there was too much interference."

  
  
  
  


Damien then began to smile

  
  
  


"however, the Fledglings are here being hunted by the Scouters as we speak." he replied slyly

  
  
  
  


As Damien waited for the Fledglings to fall into his trap the Scouters began to get closer to finding Beat, Shiki and Rhyme.

  
  
  
  


They ducked as low as they could hoping that they didn't have to fight the Demons they were being searched for.

  
  
  
  


"How strong do you think they are?" Shiki asked Beat telepathically

  
  
  
  


"I dunno man. But we ain't gonna let them stop us." Beat answered

  
  
  
  


They then noticed Rhyme was breathing heavily due to her getting nervous.

  
  
  
  
  


"we have to beat these guys and get closer to finding Neku, but… what if we have to use our Angel forms against them? We can't stay in them for too long." she thought

  
  
  
  


"Rhyme it'll be okay. We're strong enough to handle them. And please don't breath too hard. We don't even need to breath anymore remember that. They might hear us!" Shiki said through her thoughts

  
  
  
  


"okay….you're right Shiki." Rhyme thought back

  
  
  
  


They then heard the footsteps of the Scouters get closer to the forest.

  
  
  
  


"Do you think they're here?" one of them asked

  
  
  
  
  


"Not sure, but keep looking" another one replied

  
  
  
  


"Guys I could do dat move Mr. H taught me yo. I could take one of 'em out!" Beat said telepathically

  
  
  


"You sure? The moment you do that they'll be able to sense your energy." Rhyme said through her thoughts

  
  
  
  


"Yeah I got dis yo. Ain't nothin' gonna go wrong." he replied back

  
  
  
  


Beat then focused on a single target, focusing on a male Scouter and held his hand out.  
  
  
  


"Aight, I gotta focus" he thought

  
  
  


"when I do dis, you guys gotta cover me aight?" he told them telepathically

  
  
  


"yeah" Rhyme answered

  
  
  


"I got it" Shiki thought back

  
  
  


Beat then charged up the energy in his left hand and shot it at the demon he targeted.  
  
  


"hey guys, you see that green li--

  
  
  
  


The male demon then let out a scream of pain as he instantly faded into black orbs.

  
  
  


"An ambush?" one of them cried

  
  
  
  
  
  


At that moment one of the Scouters saw a black panther pounce at them, tackling them to the ground, with bright pink eyes.

  
  
  


Shiki then separated from Mr. Mew and instantly shot energy at a girl demon causing her scream.

  
  
  
  
  


Rhyme then joined in as a Wolf Taboo Noise tackling another male Scouter to the ground slashing him with her claws.

  
  
  
  
  


Beat then charged in tackling another male Scouter to the ground causing him to scream in pain from the impact.

  
  
  
  
  


The Scouters then retaliated by launching demon energy at them as lightning.

  
  
  
  
  


All three of them dodged it with Rhyme returning to her spirit form while simultaneously using her speed attack on another Scouter.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Shiki then unleashed orbs of energy at them causing them to separate their group and fight further away from each other.

  
  
  
  
  


Taking advantage of this, Rhyme summoned multiple Noise, consisting of kangaroos, wolves and elephants all charging at the Scouters.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Shiki then smiled at Beat seeing how they were distracted by the Noise and told Beat to throw her so she could use another technique from their training.

  
  
  
  
  
  


He then let's out a ferocious yell as he throws Shiki at them as she engulfed her body with Angel energy and shot it at the Demons as energy rays.

  
  
  
  
  


They put up a good fight and so did the Scouters knowing that they had to by time for the Heathens and Watchman, so they can make their fights convincing too.

  
  
  
  
  


The fight went on for what felt like hours, knowing how dangerous it is to use their Angel forms, Beat Shiki and Rhyme went to their Enlighten forms and kept fighting the Scouters.

  
  
  
  
  


As this happened in the lowest district of the Demon Realm, Neku was alone in his room again, once again unsure of what's going on.

  
  
  
  
  


"As long as that door's locked, I'll be safe. But still, I can't help but wonder what's happening. Are those evil spirits here? Ugh…whatever, they can bring it! I'm not gonna let those freaks hurt me, even if it means going on auto-pilot and not having control anymore." Neku thought sternly  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I don't want them to win…all of this…just cause my body's a Demon? Those spirits are the real monsters…not me. Demons are…just misunderstood. Heh heh, I guess I can relate to that." he thought laying on his bed

  
  
  
  
  


He then curled into a ball and laid towards his left looking at the moon again.

  
  
  
  


"As long as I have Clarissa protecting me, I'll be able to see the moon again. To do something so simple…to be safe."

  
  
  
  


He then began to close his eyes as if he was going to try to go to sleep, regardless of how that would be uncomfortable with headphones on, but as he did this Clarissa appeared again.

  
  
  
  


"Neku…it's time" she said darkly

  
  
  


This then caused him to instantly open his eyes and sit up on his bed.

  
  
  
  


"you mean they're here?" he asked urgently

  
  
  
  


"yes right now they're fighting the Scouters of the Demon Realm. They're sort of like the guardians of that district trying to make sure that no one gets past them to invade our home." she said sternly

  
  
  
  


She then sat on the bed next to Neku.

  
  
  


"Do you want more energy?" she asked

  
  
  


Neku then took a deep breath and let it out slowly

  
  
  
  


"yeah…I'll need it" he said darkly

  
  
  


"Okay here it comes" she replied

  
  
  


Clarissa then placed her hand on Neku's back causing him to scream in pain as the energy burned a hole through the back of his shirt, causing him to squeeze his bed sheets.

  
  
  
  


"it…it hurts!" he screamed in his head as he clenched his teeth

  
  
  


"But…I…I have to handle this! It's the only way!"

  
  
  


He then squeezed his bed sheets even tighter as he felt the pain worsen causing him to scream louder.

  
  
  
  
  


He then felt his back begin to burn as he absorbed more energy, causing him to squeeze his bed sheets even more. He was squeezing them with so much force that his knuckles turned white, and felt tears stream down his face from the pain.

  
  
  
  


"I…I don't know…how much longer I can take this!" he thought again

  
  
  
  


Picking up on his thoughts Clarissa tried to "encourage" him to keep handling the pain.

  
  


"I'm sorry that it has to be like this Neku but, I know you can do this. You've gone through pain before, both mental and physical pain. You just have to push yourself a little harder!" Clarissa pleaded  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Please Neku! I know that this hurts, but I know that this will help your demon form. please, please keep fighting. You have to endure this!" she cried as his scream lessened to grunts of pain

  
  
  
  


"endure the pain?" he thought

  
  
  
  


"yeah…that's right. That's what got me here, what helped me escape that place where those spirits could hurt me."

  
  
  


"I have to…I have to do …this" he said weakly

  
  
  


"that's it Neku, you're doing great" she said sweetly

  
  
  
  
  


She then placed more force on Neku's back causing him to clench his teeth

  
  
  
  


"I have to do this!" he thought again

  
  
  


"can't stop yet, gotta get more energy."

  
  


As Neku sat there absorbing more energy he felt his body get weak from fatigue.

  
  


"No…" he said weakly

 

"I don't want to stop"

  
  
  


He then began wheezing, and panting out of breath from being in so much pain.

  
  
  
  


"I…don't….want…to…" he whispered as he felt himself fall back towards the bed

  
  
  


Clarissa then caught Neku and gently placed him on the bed smiling

  
  
  


"I'm very proud of you Neku, you've absorbed so much of my energy. I know that this hurts, but when this is all over you'll see that this was worth it." she said sweetly

  
  
  


"Nngh! Thanks" he whispered

  
  
  


"Don't meniton it" she replied stroking his hair

  
  
  
  


She then covered Neku with the blankets of his bed

  
  
  


"now go on, you need to rest" she said sweetly

  
  
  


"yeah" he replied as he closed his eyes

  
  
  
  


Clarissa then vanished once again to monitor Neku.

  
  
  


As this happened within Damien's mind, the battle in the Black Tears district raged on in Neku's former friends' favor

  
  
  


They all unleashed powerful attacks at the Scouters managing to kill a few of them. When they first started the fight there were six of them, with only three remaining now.

  
  
  


"we can't keep this up for much longer" a male Scouter thought to the last two Scouters.

  
  
  


As a result of using so much power, Beat Shiki and Rhyme had returned to their Fledgling forms.

  
  
  


They knew that if they pushed themselves too hard that they'd fade away, something they couldn't afford to go through.

  
  
  


It's because of this that they relied more on physical attacks rather than using their energy, luckily for them, the Scouters were in the same situation. however they were very cautious while facing Beat, they knew that he could easily beat them up.

  
  
  
  
  
  


He charged into them with his skate board doing a kick flip on a male Scouter's face, got some air, and then slammed his board onto the back of that same demon's neck causing him to land on the ground face first.

  
  
  
  


Shiki then uppercutted one of the last three Scouters in the jaw and then had multiple Mr. Mews tackle him to the ground swiping the face of the demon.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Seeing one of the Scouters trying to sneak up on Shiki, Rhyme ran up to the demon and did a round house kick to the face.

  
  
  
  
  


It had so much force to it that it sent the Scouter flying back landing head first on the ground.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Beat then grabbed that same demon by the hair and tossed him into the air and punched him in the face while unleashing energy causing him to dissolve into black orbs.

  
  
  
  


"one down two more left yo!" he cried

  
  
  
  


Beat, remembering how Mr. H said he'd be able to stay in his Angel form the longest thought it'd be best to tap into the enormous strength he has in that form, just a little.  
  
  
  
  
  
  


He screamed as he charged up to the last two demons

  
  
  
  


"Shiki, Rhyme I got dis! Gimme some room cause the beat is on!" he cried

  
  
  


"okay!" they yelled back as the dissolved into their white orb form

 

  
  
  
  
Beat then threw one of the Scouters into the air, jumped up to the same height as the demon and punched him back to the ground sending gravel everywhere.

  
  
  


Then he picked him up and charged energy into his fist slamming it into the Demon's face, with the impact sounding like thunder causing him to dissolve into orbs.

  
  
  


With nearly all of the Scouters gone with only one left, he tried to make a run for it, only to be shot by red demon energy.

  
  
  
  
  


A gray blur then slammed into the last Scouter over and over from all angles causing the last Scouter to scream in pain.

  
  
  


The gray blur then became a demon and then slashed the Scouter in the stomach digging his claws deep within the stomach of his enemy causing him to stare at the one who defeated him in shock

  
  
  
  
  


"you traitor!" he cried

  
  
  


The last Scouter then dissolved into black orbs

  
  
  


The three friends then stared at their mysterious ally in shock

  
  
  


"Bwaaaah! What the hell? That was awesome yo! But what's goin' on?" Beat cried confused

  
  
  
  


"Yeah you're a demon too right?" Rhyme exclaimed

  
  
  
  
  


"Huh? No you…you look like... like you're half-spirit, you're gray with transparent skin…thanks for the help but….who are you?" Shiki asked

  
  
  
  
  


The mysterious boy then smiled at them and replied by telling them his name.

  
  
  


"I'm a friend, an ally. My name's Takato Kurosai"

 

 

 

To be continued…


	18. Infiltration (Part 2)

 

They were all in disbelief, none of them could imagine Neku's old friend becoming this hybrid that stood before them.

 

 

"You're Takimaru? Taki for short?" Shiki asked

 

 

"that's right" he replied

 

 

"So what're your names, and…how do you know my nickname?" Taki asked

 

 

 

"Well I'm Shiki Misaki." she said smiling

 

" 'Sup man, the name's Beat and dis is my sister Rhyme" he said to their ally

 

 

Rhyme then smiled at him

 

 

"and as for how we know your nickname, we're Neku's new friends" she said to him

 

 

Taki then looked at them with shock

 

 

"Wait that's right, you're those kids I saw Neku with in the RG. He…he looked so happy around you guys" he said scratching his head

 

 

They then looked at Taki confused

 

 

"heh heh, I know about you guys cause I use to watch Neku in the RG. I hated seeing how sad he was after I died…I was just trying to protect him. I never wanted him so feel like my death was his fault." he said filled with regret

 

 

 

"I saw him go through his break down of wanting to give up on everything. And then I saw what he went through in the UG and how happy he was from being with you guys. I think that's what stopped me from becoming a complete Demon, I guess...in a way, you all helped me fell better too, and stopped the transformation. That's why I live life in hiding. I'm a creature that's not suppose to exist." he said sadly hanging his head

 

 

He then raised it to ask them a question

 

 

"but what're you guys doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous for Fledglings to be here?" he asked curiously

 

 

"dat's cause we're here to bring Phones back yo! He ain't the same guy you once knew man." Beat said strongly

 

 

"Phones? Ha, ha, cause of his headphones, nice nickname. Yeah…I know what happened to him. I was shocked to see Neku come here, and I was even more shocked to see he has Demon energy inside him." Taki replied

 

 

"and that's why we know that even though it's impossible to save a human soul that becomes a Demon, we don't care! we're gonna try anyway. Neku never gave up on us, so we're not gonna give up on him!" Shiki exclaimed

 

 

Taki then smiled at their determination to save him

 

 

"Heh heh, Neku really found some amazing friends in you guys. You're seriously gonna take on the Demon Lord? That takes guts." he replied

 

 

"I can take you to the district where you can find his lair" he added

 

 

"whoa seriously?" Rhyme exclaimed

 

 

"Yup" he said smiling with his mouth closed

 

 

"Thanks" Shiki replied

 

 

"Yeah it's nice knowin' dat you ain't like dem yo." Beat added

 

 

As Taki walked away from them to open a portal they noticed his clothes were a lot like the Scouters so he wouldn't be suspected for being a hybrid by other demons.

 

 

He then extended his hand out to open a red portal that was black in the center.

 

 

"alright if you guys go through here you'll go to the Demon Lord's domain in the next dimension of the Demon Realm, the City of the Cursed. But be careful, although the place looks deserted more powerful Demons are in his lair waiting to face intruders." he warned them.

 

 

"once you guys go inside his lair, that's as far as I'll go. I can't let Neku see me like this...I...I don't want him to see what I've become." he said sadly

 

 

"Taki…you sure?" Shiki said sadly

 

 

"yeah I am" he replied

 

 

They then walked inside the portal to the other district.

 

 

When they left it they saw that the other district felt more urban.

 

 

There were sky scrapers everywhere and a hotel in the city as well.

 

 

"So Neku's lair has to be around here somewhere…you think we should split up?" Rhyme asked Taki

 

 

"yeah that's a good idea, we ought to be able to cover more ground that way." Taki replied

 

 

They all wandered around the city trying to find the way to Neku's lair.

 

 

It felt almost like they were in Shibuya again, it had almost everything that the city had as part of making the disguise for the Demon Lord's lair blend in more with the environment.

 

 

As they all searched Taki found the hotel that was the disguise for the Demon Lord's lair.

 

 

"Guys this it" he remarked

 

 

Beat Shiki and Rhyme then went to the hotel.

 

 

"This is Neku's lair?" Rhyme asked

 

 

"yeah but there's a barrier disguising it to make it look like a hotel." Taki replied

 

 

"that's…pretty clever of them. Hey Taki, I can open this barrier." Shiki exclaimed

 

 

Taki then looked at her confused

 

 

"Huh? Shiki, I like your confidence and all, but it takes a really powerful Demon or Angel to break through this how would you--

 

 

She then generated gold Angel energy in her hand and placed it on the hotel, revealing a cathedral.

 

 

"Whoa you guys have Angel energy in you? So then…that's how you're gonna do it huh? Fight Neku with an Angel form?" Taki asked

 

 

"Dat's the plan yo. How'd you know 'bout dat?" Beat asked

 

 

"well I over heard a demon saying that at one point. once a Fledging is more experienced in controlling energy, that they were taught to become Angels but due to how so many Fledglings died in the training, it was never done again. Heh, I guess the training's back again." Taki said smiling

 

 

 

"well not really. We were taught this for the sole purpose of getting Neku back." Rhyme corrected him.

 

 

"anyways you still sure about not going in Taki? You've really helped us out you know" Shiki said smiling

 

 

"yeah I'm sure. Just remember to be careful, once you go inside the Demons will stop at nothing to kill you, and that means at some point you'll have to face the Demon Lord's servants and his right hand man, the Watchman." Taki said sternly

 

 

 

"don't worry we will. This is what our training was for to get us ready for this." Shiki said strongly

 

 

She then opened the door to the Cathedral with Beat and Rhyme behind her.

 

 

Taki then backed up and allowed them to go through.

 

 

As they walked inside the cathedral Taki couldn't help but wonder if they really had what it takes to save Neku.

 

 

As this happened in the Demon realm, Joshua and Mr. H were watching over them through a portal they made in the Composer district.

 

 

"think they have what it takes?" Joshua asked Mr. H

 

 

"good question, I've done all I could to make them have a fighting chance against Neku's demon form, but anything could happen." he replied darkly

 

 

Joshua then flicked his hair.

 

 

"Mr. H, you know that it's impossible to save a human soul that's become a demon, they're being sent to their death trying to fight him. Why'd you encourage them to this point?" he asked with a curious look on his face

 

 

 

"ha ha, well in all honesty Josh, at first I was gonna try to tell them to let Phones go, and move on. But then I realized that knowing these kids the way I got to in the UG, that they wouldn't give up on him. " Mr. H replied

 

 

"They were with him to the very end, even when you fused your power with the Conductor, trapping them inside those bubbles and preventing them from helping Phones, they still generated the Light Puck to boost his energy." he replied

 

 

Mr. H then chuckled smiling with his hands in his pockets

 

 

"I guess what I'm trying to say Josh is that we both knew it was gonna come to this. The friendship they have for each other, and the loyalty they have towards Neku is what's pushing them this far. In the end, even if I told them to give up on him, and that they would be safe doing that, there's no way they would've done that."

 

 

Joshua then let out a little grin with his hands in his back pockets.

 

 

"I guess not." Joshua replied

 

 

"you know that they'll face the Heathens soon, and that they can't use too much Angel energy Mr. H. if this is too much for them and they all Fade…then you know what'll happen to you right?" Joshua asked while crossing his arms

 

 

Mr. H then sighed and scratched his head

 

 

"yeah…I'll be held responsible and might even have to go on trial with the Higher Ups. And since it would be like I killed them, I might even have to play their Game, and you know what happens to us Angels if we have to play the Game." he chuckled

 

 

Joshua then let out his sly little laugh

 

 

"of course I do. And since Neku's my Proxy, and I helped his mind and soul get stronger, there'll be a punishment for me too no doubt." he said while twisting his hair.

 

 

"Joshua seems to be doing a little better" Mr. H thought

 

 

"Has he come to terms with his issues with Phones? Or is he ignoring them now?" he wondered

 

 

They then turned their attention back to the portal to see Shiki, Beat and Rhyme exploring different parts of the cathedral.

 

 

Rhyme noticed a corner for them to hide in and told Beat and Shiki to go there. Luckily for them the cathedral is very dark and because of this Rhyme took advantage of that and transformed into her squirrel Noise form, but was colored black, like a Taboo Noise so she could blend in with the background.

 

 

Using the wings her squirrel form has, she hovered across the cathedral to check for demons. She then became her spirit form and gave a thumbs up signaling that the cost was clear.

 

 

As they all walked around some more they noticed creatures that were made of gray smoke and bat wings.

 

 

They then hid against another corner of the walls in the cathedral

 

 

"it's them!" Rhyme said through her thoughts

 

 

"Yeah the Heathens, how strong do you think they are?" Shiki asked

 

 

"Not sure" Rhyme answered "But we can handle them"

 

 

"we got dis yo" Beat added in telepathically.

 

 

"guys I have an idea" Rhyme said mentally

 

 

"Mr. H said to not fight every demon we see, that we need to save our strength for fighting Neku. Let me distract these guys and then you two can go on ahead." she exclaimed

 

 

"No way yo! I ain't leavin' ya Rhyme." Beat remarked on the plan

 

 

"Beat it'll be okay I can do this" She thought to her worried brother

 

 

She then looked to him and smiled

 

 

"Aight, you look like you got dis Rhyme. Jus' be careful man." he thought to her.

 

 

"I will" she said back mentally

 

 

She transformed into her Squirrel Noise form and flew over to the Heathens.

 

 

"huh what's a Noise doing here?" Dokueki said turning into his human form.

 

 

"Beats me unless….Dokueki we have to follow that Noise! Only a select few Demon Lords and Mistresses could make a Noise form, you know, like Kurushii remember?" Nikuyoku exclaimed in her human form

 

 

Rhyme then wiggles her tail and begins to run off with the two Raptures running after her.

 

 

"it might lead us to those kids invading the Demon Realm! Nikuyoku exclaimed

 

 

"Chikara pick up the pace let's go!" Dokueki shouted

 

 

Chikara then cracked his knuckles

 

 

"you two go, I'll stay here just incase one of them tries to get past here" he remarked

 

 

"Alright just don't underestimate them." the girl Heathen cried

 

 

"Damn it didn't work yo! Dat big guy's still there." Beat said to Shiki telepathically

 

 

"yeah do you think we can sneak past him?" she asked

 

 

"Doubt it. Tsk we can't go usin' energy like dis yo." Beat remarked frustrated

 

 

Picking up on their energy Chikara began to walk around the halls of the cathedral.

 

 

As this happened, Rhyme was eventually caught by Nikuyoku. And held Rhyme's squirrel Noise in her hand.

 

 

"well what do we have here? A cute little squirrel Noise, it's such a shame that we have to erase it." she said slyly

 

 

 

She then started to squeeze the squirrel Noise only to have it transform into an elephant Noise, which swung her tusk at Nikuyoku sending her flying.

 

 

Dokueki then pounced at the massive Noise only to see it had transformed into a wolf Noise and tackled him to the ground.

 

 

Hearing the fight at their end of the hallway they knew they had no choice.

 

 

"Beat they caught Rhyme! We have to fight this guy so we can back her up!" Shiki said mentally

 

 

"Yeah and we gotta do this fast yo! I ain't gonna let them hurt Rhyme." he replied back

 

 

They then held hands and became Enlightens and charged at the bulky Heathen with Panther Mr. Mew alongside them.

 

 

"heh heh, you guys picked the wrong demon to fight. I'm the strongest Heathen there is! No one has ever won a fight against me!" Chikara cried

 

 

"heh well then you gonna meet your match yo! Ain't no Demon standin' in our way!" he roared back

 

 

"let's go Beat!" Shiki exclaimed

 

 

"Aight, The Beat is on!" he yelled back

 

 

They then unleashed dozens of orbs at the demon, but his body was so strong that he simply charged at them not even flinching as the orbs hit him.

 

 

As he prepared to attack Beat and Shiki Panther Mr. Mew leaped at the demon and tackled him to the ground. With a snap of Shiki's fingers the panther cloned itself into four Pather Mr. Mews.

 

 

The one that tackled him to the ground then bit his right arm and tossed him into the air. The other panthers then slashed him from all sides with one of the panthers leaping to Shiki.

 

 

She then flew alongside Beat and the Panther mimicking the wild cat's attacks and Beat flew at neck breaking speeds as he punched the demon in the face.

 

 

This then caused Chikara to scream in pain before unleashing a dome of Demon energy that sent them flying back and all the clones to go back into the real Mr. Mew Panther form.

 

 

Beat and Shiki then shot rays of energy at the massive Demon causing him to scream again. Beat then charged at the Demon and grew legs, using that speed to then make the impact of his combos all the more painful.

 

 

 

Beat punched the Demon five times in the stomach, unleashed an uppercut to the jaw, and a round house kick to the stomach sending the demon flying back. He then grabbed Chikara with his legs and swung him face first to the ground.

 

 

"How?" Chikara thought "how is a bunch of puny kids beating me up?"

 

 

He then let out a ferocious roar

 

 

"YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ME?! NOW YOU'LL ALL DIE!"

 

 

He then charged at Beat and Shiki choking them and slamming them onto the ground. He then tossed Shiki into the air and punched her in the face. And then grabbed Beat and threw him against a wall with such force, it shattered with bits and pieces of the wall scattering. Beat then retaliated by punching him in the face.

 

 

"Shiki you aight?!" Beat cried

 

 

"yeah, come on! We can't use our Angel forms yet! We need to end this!" Shiki cried back

 

 

They then fought in unison each one covering the other. Beat tackled Chikara only to have Shiki's energy blast against his back. Panther Mr. Mew then let out rapid slashes against the powerful Demon and watched him land on the ground face first. At last, he was at his limit.

 

 

"Just a little more." Shiki said weakly.

 

 

"yeah let's get dis over with yo." he said back

 

 

 

"Wait! Beat, we gotta do a Soul Surge! We can do that as Enlightens too remember?" Shiki exclaimed

 

 

"Hell yeah!" Beat said with a smile

 

They then held hands and surged like fire, once they did, they let go and got in their fighting stances

 

 

"Pick it up Shiki!" Beat roard

 

"I got it!" Shiki yelled back.

 

they then became massive bolts of lightning and slammed into their foe multiple times, zig-zagging around him 12 times before returning to their Englighten forms. Beat and Shiki then hold hands and become a drill of energy and smash into Dokueki, becoming an explosion upon impact

 

 

At that moment they then powered down to their Fledgling forms

 

 

"Shiki I got dis one! I'll take 'em down you start headin' for Rhyme." he added

 

 

"What?! Beat I can't just leave you like this and--

 

 

"Go and back up my sister yo! I got dis, I'm a freaking Rhino right Shiki?" Beat said smiling

 

 

"Yeah" Shiki said smiling back "Go get him Beat!"

 

 

"heh heh you know it!" he said back

 

 

Shiki then sensed Rhyme's energy and teleported over to her.

 

 

Rhyme, regardless of facing the powerful Demons that stood before her was doing pretty well, by harnessing the agility and strength of different animals with her Noise forms. But Rhyme was facing fatigue too, Dokueki had slashed her with his poisonous claws, causing paralysis. She was frozen in place.

 

 

Nikuyoku then shot Demon lighting at Rhyme causing her to close her eyes

 

 

"No!" Rhyme thought

 

 

She then opened her eyes expecting to see her energy leaking out of her but instead, it was Shiki generating her energy as lighting pushing the Demon energy back.

 

 

"Huh? How're you doing that?" Rhyme asked

 

 

"Heh heh, Neku did this to protect me. Heh heh I guess I just wanted to protect you." Shiki said sweetly.

 

 

She then shot the lightning at Dokueki, blasting through the demon lightning and instantly killed him.

 

 

"What?! How did you… NOOOO!" Nikuyoku screamed

 

 

She then slashed Shiki a total of twelve times causing Shiki to scream in pain.

 

 

She then snapped her fingers to overwhelm her with pain, making it feel like Shiki was being stabbed over and over.

 

Rhyme, infuriated by her hurting Shiki, snapped her fingers and became a completely new Noise, one made by her imagination, a werewolf Noise.

 

 

She towered over Shiki shielding her from the Demon at a menacing thirteen feet tall.

 

 

 

She snarled at Nikuyoku and howled, producing a blast of sound so loud that the Demon had to cover her ears. She then pounced at the demon slashing her with her claws causing her to dissolve into black orbs

 

 

"This wasn't…suppose…to happen" she whispered

 

 

Rhyme then transformed back into her Fledgling form.

 

 

"Nngh! Shiki, are you okay?" she asked weakly

 

 

 

Shiki then manages to get to her feet thanks to Rhyme pulling her up.

 

 

"yeah…just really weak." Shiki replied

 

 

"Huh? Rhyme look, over there!" she exclaimed pointing to another hallway

 

 

"YOU AIN'T STOPPIN' MEEEEE!" they heard Beat cry

 

 

They then saw a huge green ray of energy go across the hall and heard the screams of Chikara before he dissolved into black orbs.

 

 

"heh heh, hells yeah! That was tight." he exclaimed

 

 

He then walked over to Shiki and Rhyme.

 

 

They all talked about their battles and then used their white Angel energy to heal themselves.

 

 

They each all took a deep breath and began to continue walking down the hallway unaware that they were getting extremely close, to the Demon Lord's throne room.

 

 

To be continued…


	19. Infiltration (Part 3)

 

 

As they walked down the hallways of the cathedral they all noticed that it had become darker in the cathedral.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
There was very limited light to begin with in the hallways they were in earlier and the new hallway they were in had dark gray colored walls and a black floor with a red carpet stretching across the hall. This one felt like it would go on forever with no end in sight.

  
  
  
  


As Beat Shiki and Rhyme looked around they all noticed they were surrounded by arched pillars.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The air felt cold as they all felt chills going up and down their spines and their only source of light was from the stain glass images of the dragon Noise of the first Demon Lord.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As they kept walking straight ahead for what felt like hours, Rhyme noticed another hallway to the right of her with the menacing dragon she saw on the stain glass windows from earlier was carved into the wall. Unaware that someone lurked within the shadows watching them

  
  
  
  
  


"Guys, look at that" she exclaimed pointing to the Noise

  
  
  


"Yeah it's dat dragon we keep seein' yo. Wazup wid that? You think it got some sorta meaning or sumfin? Beat asked Rhyme

  
  
  
  


"No idea, but I'd guess the Demons really like it or something." she replied

  
  
  


"yeah it feels like that dragon's everywhere…like it's watching us or something." Shiki said weakly while squeezing Mr. Mew.

  
  


Sensing how nervous everyone was getting Beat tried to hide his nervousness by showing his usual tough guy attitude.

  
  
  


"heh don' worry about it yo. Those demons are jus' creepy 'n stuff, they probly jus do dis to scare people man." he said reassuringly

  
  
  


"Y-yeah..you're right Beat. Let's keep moving." Rhyme said weakly

  
  
  


As they all began to walk away from the carving of the dragon a male voice called out to them causing them to instantly turn around.

  
  
  


"It's a lovely carving isn't it?" the voice asked

  
  


"Grrr quit playin' games yo! We ain't scared of you, so come on out." Beat cried provoking the voice.

  
  
  


Regardless of Beat  acting tough, he knew that he was feeling nervous too, he didn't like knowing that due to it being so dark, that the person hiding from them could easily attack them from any angle.

  
  


The voice ignored Beat's demand and kept talking

  
  
  
  


"You know, I've been monitoring you three. I've been watching your every move curious to see how far you'd get before a demon killed you. I must say that I'm very impressed to see you three have come this far." the voice continued

  
  


He then appeared from the right of the carving and began to walk close to the Fledglings revealing himself to be the Demon Lord's Watchman, Izawa.

  
  


"However, I'm afraid your little journey ends here. None may lay a hand on the Demon Lord! No one will interfere with his noble cause. I, as you may have guessed, am his Watchman Izawa." he said smiling

  
  
  
  


"Yeah? well it don't matter who you are yo! We ain't stoppin' here! We've come too far to jus' go back wid out Phones!" Beat cried

  
  
  


"Yeah Beat's right! Neku's not himself anymore thanks to you freaks and we  _are_  going to get him back!" Shiki said firmly

  
  
  


"So you can say whatever you want to us! You're not gonna scare us away!" Rhyme yelled at him

  
  
  


Izawa then simply shook his head

  
  


"you're all so foolish believing that you can save your friend. He's gone. There's nothing you can do for…Neku was it? He's been consumed by demon energy, the effects are irreversible and yet here you are throwing your afterlives away for a little worthless human soul. Pathetic." Izawa snarled  
  
  
  
  
  
"Your little friend was doomed to become a Demon, and an extremely powerful one at that. You're all wasting your time, when a human soul becomes one of us, they don't remember anything about who they once were. It's all over." he said slyly

  
  
  


"So what makes you three think you can just waltz on into his lair, go and attack his security and actually plan on saving him? Friendship? Loyalty? Comradery? Those are nothing but empty words." Izawa snarled  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"humans are worthless creatures who hurt each other whenever they get the chance. If anything Neku's been purified, freed from those disgusting, and needless emotions that he'd feel as a human soul. Neku…has been saved thanks to us." The Watchman said with an icy laugh

  
  
  


Shiki was enraged hearing that last sentence, she felt her clench her teeth and her fists trembling, and felt tears streaming down her face.

  
  


"Shut up…" she hissed

  
  
  


Izawa, noticing he said something that hurt her merely smiled revealing teeth that resembled a tigers.

  
  


"I'm sorry dear, what was that?" he asked

  
  


"I…SAID…SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUP!" she screamed

  
  


At that very instant she transformed into her angel form with Beat and Rhyme doing the same.

  
  


"YOU DIDN'T SAVE NEKU! YOU'VE HARMED HIM! YOU FREAKS JUST KEPT HURTING HIM MORE AND MORE UNTILL HE COULDN'T HANDLE THE ENERGY! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM HIM!"                                            

  
  
  
  
  
    

She then flew to Izawa at blinding speeds unleashing energy at him. He then retaliated by trying to punch her in the stomach only to have his hand blocked by hers. Seeing this as a chance to hurt him, Shiki then electrocuted his hand making Izawa scream.

  
  
  


Beat then joined in by making ten clones of himself with each one attacking the Watchman from all sides. This then caused him to unleash a dome of energy blasting Beat and his clones away.

  
  
  


Rhyme then summoned a total of twenty different Noises to attack Izawa. They all ranged from being Wolves, to rhinos, to elephants.

  
  
  


The animals then all charged at Izawa with him slashing each one causing them to dissolve into static. He then reached out to Rhyme while charging black lighting in his hand preparing to unleash it at her. But Rhyme then flew to him and used her speed attack on him hitting him from all angles.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He then shot out red demon energy all around him and hit Rhyme's left wing causing her to spiral out of control. Seeing this as a chance to kill her Izawa then shot energy out of his hands using them to propel himself at Rhyme only to be punched in the face by Beat.

  
  


Shiki then flew towards him with Panther Mr. Mew at her side as they fought in unison attacking the Watchman.

 

  
  
  
He then retaliated by punching the panther in the face causing him to return to Mr. Mew. The plush toy then immediately clones itself and flew at Izawa at Shiki's command, the five Mr. Mew clones however weren't enough as they were all blasted by demon energy.

  
  


Izawa then choked Shiki and electrocuted her with demon energy.

  
  


Meanwhile as the fight continued very close to the throne room, Damien relaxed sipping his wine.

 

  
  
  
"it won't be long now" he thought

 

  
  
  
  
"heh heh this is perfect. Everything has gone according to plan, once Izawa let's them go through I can finally kill them…I wonder who will arrive here first? Or, will they all arrive at the same time?"

  
  


"Should the little Fledglings get separated I'll then mess with one of them hopefully, it'll be  _her._  after all it'll be much more fun to mess with her head since she was so close to him.  
  
  
  
  
"However, should that not be the case, I'll mess with whoever comes here, make them feel unsure of themselves, and momentarily forget about their little plan. Then when that fledgling is in that state of uncertainty, I'll kill them."

  
  


Damien then sighed

  
  


"But this plan didn't come at a hefty price, nearly all my security has been killed by those Fledglings, they weren't faking it like they were suppose to. …but one's success is built off of another's sacrifice, and now thanks to them, those little fools are even closer to my throne room. Then once they've all faded away, I'll go after Sanae and Joshua… and be one step closer to destroying the Higher Plane."

  
  


As Damien waited patiently for the intruders, to enter Neku was recovering from his most recent encounter with Clarissa pouring her energy into him.

  
  


He laid on his bed and finally opened his eyes from resting on his bed.

  
  
  


"Nngh! My back…it still hurts a little." he thought as he opened his eyes

 

  
  
  
He then rolled over to the right side of his bed

 

  
  
  
  
"maybe I need to rest a little more." he thought again.

 

  
  
As Neku closed his eyes getting ready to rest again Clarissa appeared.

 

  
  
  
  
  
"Neku how're you feeling?!" she asked urgently

  
  
  


"I…I'm fine I just feel a little weak is all what's wrong?" he asked noticing her urgency

  
  
  


"it's time Neku, those spirits that I was talking about earlier, they're here. And they'll face your Demon form pretty soon." she said darkly

  
  


This then made him gasp with fear

  
  


"it's already starting?!" Neku asked in shock

  
  


"yes right now I can sense that they're not too far from the throne room Neku. But it'll be okay, we've been getting ready for this for a while and now the spirits will face the power of a Demon Lord." she said strongly

  
  


"yeah…all of this…over me being a Demon." Neku said darkly

  
  


"But now…they'll know not to judge someone for being different right?" he asked

  
  


"right" she replied smiling

  
  
  
  
  


"still" Neku thought "I…I wish it hadn't come to this. I hate people but…it's not like I'd kill someone for being mean to me."

  
  


"Neku are you okay? You seem a little nervous." Clarissa said weakly

  
  


"Yeah…I'm fine it's just…this is all so sudden…I…I didn't think they'd be here yet…and…I still don't like the idea of us having to kill people just for them not liking me….but my body, the Demon Lord,  _has_  to do it. They want to kill me so…I have a right to defend myself…right?" Neku said weakly

  
  


She then smiled at him

  
  


"you're exactly right Neku…and if you ever feel unsafe or scared, or your body can't take anymore then…you know what you can do right?" she said sweetly

  
  


"yeah...I…I do." he said weakly

 

The fight went on for what felt like hours. Beat Shiki and Rhyme were getting tired and they knew how dangerous it was to stay in their Angel forms for too long, on top of that the Watchaman was extremely powerful.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
He had beaten each of them savagely. They felt their energy burning them as the Angel energy began to damage them. Izawa had slammed them into the ground, chocked them and electrocuted them with Demon energy and on top of that Shiki was powering down to her Enlighten form.

 

  
  
The only reason that Rhyme wasn't going through the same the thing was Beat pouring his Angel energy into her at a certain point in the fight to keep her energy strong since Beat and Rhyme's energy are linked.

 

  
  
Shiki then fused with Mr. Mew as a panther and charged at Izawa only to get smacked back to the ground by him. She then got back up and slashed him in the face multiple times. Beat and Rhyme then tackled him and attacked him alongside Shiki.

 

  
  
Beat knew that they were at their limit and charged up his instant kill energy in his left hand.

 

  
  
Seeing this move being used for the first time by someone who wasn't an Angel made Izawa stare at Beat in shock.

 

  
  
"that move…I've only seen that energy unleashed by the Angel that killed the first Demon Lord…who would've thought that he passed on the move to a little human soul like you." Izawa said while smiling at Beat Shiki and Rhyme's confusion

 

  
  
  
  
"wha..whatchu say?!" Beat said weakly

  


"Da person dat taught me this move is da one that killed…

 

  
  
"Mr. H" Shiki said weakly

 

  
  
"he…he really…killed the first Demon Lord?" Rhyme asked

 

  
  
Izawa then chuckled at them

 

  
  
"you know for someone that's supposedly friends with him, you don't seem to know a lot about him. Sanae Hanekoma, Mr. H…is a Guardian Angel, a sort of soldier for the Higher Ups, which I;m sure he must have told you. After gaining many years of experience in the RG's time, by living in the Higher Plane, he was given a mission to check up on us Demons and make sure that we would uphold the agreement to the treaty and not attack the Higher Plane." he explained  
  
  
  
  
  
  
he then continues with a sinister grin  
  
  
  
  
  
"But Sanae, being that smart man that he is, did a little extra for his mission and spied on the first Demon Lord Kurushii. He suspected him of betraying the Higher Ups' trust and attack the Higher Plane…and he was right."

  


Izawa then pointed at the energy in Beat's hand

  


"that energy of yours is the same attack Sanae used to kill Kurushii. It was an intense battle and the Demon Lord unleashed his Noise form…the same dragon Noise you've been seeing. He was one of the only few Demons to accomplish this and when the moment was just right, Sanae used that same form of energy on Kurushii, and impaled him through the back."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You're little Angel friend…is a murderer, he's killed many demons as a Guardian Angel all to  _protect_  the Higher Plane. You creatures are the real monsters not us." Izawa said darkly  
  
  
  


"Grrr shut up yo! You don't know nothin' 'bout Mr. H! he did dat cause you guys were gonna kill da people in da Higher Plane! He had to!" Beat roared

  
  


"oh really? Then did you know that Sanae even had to kill one of his own friends?" he said smiling

  


"Sanae is not the man you think he is. He killed someone he once knew just because he was a demon!" Izawa shouted

 

Rrrgh! Sh-Shut up!" Shiki cried "He had to do it! I've seen first hand what the transformation does to a human soul! It makes them go crazy and think that their friend is just energy to be absorbed…CAUSE THAT'S WHAT NEKU WENT THROUGH!"

  
  


She then flew to Izawa and blasted energy at him, he blocked it but the energy sent him flying back, smashing his body against glass that seemed to come out of nowhere.

  


"the wall!" Izawa thought

 

"huh? Some kind of barrier?" Rhyme thought

 

She then blasted Izawa again causing him to go flying back making the "wall" behind him completely break apart revealing a burgundy colored door, the door to the Demon Lord's throne room.

  


"Nngh! No! you…you can't go through!" Izawa shouted

 

 

"Run Shiki! Go! You have to get to that door! The Watchman's trying to protect it so you _know_  what has to be on the other side!" Rhyme cried

  
  


"She's right yo! We came here to get Phones back. You were his first real friend Shiki. You gotta go ahead and find Phones!" Beat cried

 

  
  
  
"Akem! Hikaru! now I need back up!" Izawa thought

 

 

at that moment Damien's female servants arrived and got in fighting stances

 

 

"We won't let you get to him! No one can hurt the Demon Lord! To you, he may be just a monster, but lord Damien is more than that!" Akemi shouted

 

Hikaru then snarled 

 

"We wouldn't expect you to understand! So we will do all we can to keep him safe!" Hikaru yelled

 

 

"It doesn't matter what you try, we've come too far to just lose here!" Shiki roared

 

 

both girls then generated a knife in their hands and ran towards Shiki. She dodges all their swipes while Rhyme blasts energy at Hikaru. She notices and looks to her right and blasts demon energy at Rhyme, knocking her back. She then pounces at Rhyme, only for Beat to tackle Hikaru.

 

Akemi then snarls and unleashes a dome of demon energy, cloaking Hikaru and Izawa and spreading towards Neku's friends, who manage to just barely dodge the explosion

 

Hikaru then pounces out of the explosion towards Rhyme, only to be tackled by Beat

 

"My duty as a Servant, is not only to pamper him and make him feel comfortable, but at times like this, to also keep all Demon Lords and Mistresses safe and I won't let you get to Lord Damien!" Hikaru roared

 

she then shot lasers of demo energy out of her eyes which made Beat scream in pain as he gets launched back, only to be caught by Rhyme

 

"The person you think your Lord is, isn't him at all! he's our friend, and we're going to save him!" Rhyme yelled

 

Izawa then shot a ray of Demon energy at the three of them, Rhyme noticed this, and set up a barrier around them.

  


"we can handle this Shiki! You  _have_  to go to Neku! You're the one he first opened up to, that's something me and Beat will never have. You became Neku's entry fee. You mean so much to him that I know you're gonna bring him back! Don't worry about us, we'll catch up to you after we take care of these guys. Please Shiki! I can't keep this barrier up much longer!" Rhyme shouted

  


"you…you're right Rhyme." Shiki said weakly

  


"alright I'll go on the count of three so you guys can get ready to attack again." she said quietly

  


"Okay" Rhyme replied

  


"got it yo!" Beat said back

  


Shiki then placed Mr. Mew on her shoulders causing him to hold on to her.

  


"One…two…three!"

  


The barrier instantly broke with Beat tackling Izawa to the ground and Shiki bursting into a run. Tapping into the immense strength he as an Angel, Beat squeezed the Watchman's arms putting immense pressure on him making it impossible for the demon to escape Beat's grasp.

  


Rhyme then took this chance to heal her brother and herself.

 

"Go Shiki don't look back!" Rhyme called as she saw her running.

  


As Shiki ran towards the door she then felt the same nervousness and fear that Neku did when he stood in front of the door that lead to the Composer's pad, causing her to come to a screeching halt and became extremely pale.

  


"this…this is really it." she thought as she felt chills going down her back

 

She then gulped, took a deep breath, and opened the door, shutting it behind her to enter the Demon Lord's throne room, and saw  _him_  smiling at her as she stood there in the room.

 

"Neku…" she thought nervously


	20. Dancing With the Devil

Shiki then starred at her demonic friend in shock, she was startled that he didn't attack her the moment she came in. she looked to her left and right and noticed that there were shattered stain glass windows in between the arched pillars that decorated the throne room, and tapestries of Kurushii's Dragon Noise by Neku's demon form.

 

 

 

Although she had seen Damien plenty of times, she couldn't help but hate how he's wearing the same tuxedo Neku did when he played piano, and sang in front of anyone for the first time.

 

 

 

And how the first person to hear him sing…was her, it was as if now is when that connection had finally hit her, now that she had a moment of peace again. She couldn't help but feel like it has a sense of importance to the friendship they once had.

 

 

 

Damien, still smiling at her while holding his wine glass in his right hand, greeted Shiki and welcomed her to his throne room. Something that startled Shiki even more. He then placed the wine glass down on the table to his right and with a snap of his fingers, made his apple unbitten. He then picked it up and then began speaking to Shiki once more.

 

 

"You know, in some cultures and mythology the apple is very symbolic." he said slyly.

 

 

He then took a bite and chewed it slowly before swallowing.

 

 

"the apple" he continued "is a very delicious fruit…in some mythology the apple is a symbol of the beauty of women or peace, such as in China. While in others they have a more sinister meaning tied to them…a meaning…that I prefer."

 

 

 

He then slightly turned away from the apple to look at Shiki, pleased with the confusion written all over her face, and then turned back to the apple.

 

 

 

"So…tell me, are you aware that in some cultures and even in various beliefs that the apple has a more morbid sort of symbolism?" he asked

 

 

 

"N--no…" Shiki said weakly while squeezing Mr. Mew by her chest

 

 

 

 

"Lust, temptation,…evil. These are other things that are associated with this fruit as well." he said smiling

 

 

 

"if that's the case…" he said darkly almost as a whisper "then evil…

 

 

 

He then takes another bite of his apple and slowly chewed it, grinding it between his shark teeth before swallowing it.

 

 

 

"…Is so juicy, so succulent, so tasty…that I want more."

 

 

 

Hearing that statement made chills go up and down her spine.

 

 

 

"No…Neku…he's…he's so far away. The way he talks now…it's like he's a completely different person." she thought sadly

 

 

 

He then placed his apple down on the table and sipped his wine again before setting the wine glass down as well, and then faced Shiki, causing her to gasp afraid of not knowing what he'd do next.

 

 

 

"Come now, there's no need for alarm. I was merely going to ask you something is all." Damien said sweetly.

 

 

 

"ask me something?" she repeated confused

 

 

 

"yes" he continued "I'd like to know why you went through the trouble of coming here? As you are aware, a Fledgling shouldn't be here unless they're transforming or…they wish to become a Demon."

 

 

 

"I…I came here…to get you back" she said hesitantly

 

 

 

"Me? Ah, you must be referring to that friend of yours again." he replied

 

 

 

Damien then shook his head

 

 

 

"Still going on about that I see" he said softly causing Shiki to gulp

 

 

 

"it's alright really. I'm not going to hurt you. We're just talking that's all"

 

 

 

"Y--yeah…we're…just talking" Shiki repeated trying to reassure herself that nothing was going to happen to her.

 

 

 

Damien then rose from his seat and snapped his fingers making her have a dead human form, like the UG, and transforming her usual clothes into a sleeveless dark blue dress with light blue lace outlining the part of the dress for a women's breast and the bottom of the dress.

 

 

 

 

She also had black high heels on, a black choker wrapped around her neck, and a dark blue rose on the wrist of her right hand with light blue lace wrapped around it, a corsage.

 

 

 

This monster she was ready to fight had completely flustered her, causing Shiki to blush.

 

 

He then walked towards her and held her right hand and bent down and kissed it, causing her to blush even harder and drop Mr. Mew.

 

 

 

"huh? What's…what's going on? Why is he doing this? …could this be Neku breaking out? He's very gentlemanly towards me but…no…not like this…he's…he's more respectful than this. Neku wouldn't hit on me." she thought scared

 

 

 

"heh heh, there's no need to be afraid" he said sweetly noticing her shocked facial expression.

 

 

 

He then placed his left hand on her waist and held her right hand with his right hand. He even made sure that his claws were normal sized so he didn't accidentally cut her.

 

 

 

Noticing how wobbly she was with high heels, he then lets go of her and snaps his fingers to make the shoes transform into black slippers, and positioned himself with Shiki the way he did before.

 

 

 

Damien then closed his eyes, then opened them to have a slow paced waltz begin to play.

 

 

 

"Are you familiar with this piece?" Damien asked curiously

 

 

"No...not really" Shiki replied weakly

 

 

He then chuckled at her

 

 

"it's alright. This is a song composed by the great Ludwig Van Beethoven. This piece is called Moonlight Sonata. I'm rather fond of this piece really." he said smiling with his mouth close trying not to scare her

 

 

As they danced Damien noticed Shiki was struggling to keep up, due to her clumsiness, making her nervous.

 

 

"Don't mess up! Don't mess up!" Shiki screamed in her head

 

 

"If I mess up on the dance or something I might anger him…and then he might…why? Why is he doing this?!"

 

 

"Hm? Having some trouble?" he said noticing her struggling to keep up

 

 

 

 

"um I…I guess." she said nervously

 

 

 

 

"Alright, then hop on, allow me to guide you." he said softly

 

 

 

He then stopped and allowed Shiki to stand on his feet making her face to face with him, with only a few inches separating their faces from being close enough to kiss.

 

 

This then made Shiki even more nervous as she tried to stay on his feet.

 

 

"if it helps you feel more balanced, you could lay your chest against mine for support." he said sweetly

 

 

"oh…um…okay" she said nervously

 

 

 

She then did as he had suggested causing her to be wrapped in more confusion

 

 

 

 

"Why? Why do I feel so…shy? My cheeks aren't so tight now but still! This…this isn't Neku and yet having him so…close, his chest…against mine…I feel safe…like Neku would protect me. But…this ISN'T NEKU! Why do I feel this way?" she screamed in her head

 

 

 

Damien then  glanced to his right shoulder to see her blushing

 

 

 

"Hm? Is something wrong? …you're blushing." Damien said confused

 

 

She then immediately raised her head and looked at him

 

 

 

"huh? Oh um…I'm fine really." she said softly

 

 

 

"well good" Damien replied "because I want to ask you something"

 

 

"I know that you said you're here for your friend, that you want him back but…why?" he asked

 

 

 

 

"huh?…I…well, he means a lot to me. Before I met him, I was filled with jealousy towards my friend. I thought she was perfect, that she was great at everything…and…that I was inferior, that I was worthless." a timid Shiki explained

 

 

 

 

"I…I tried to be brave, to hide the way I really felt inside when I was around him. I was always happy lying to myself and him every time I smiled or laughed. It was all fake…and then, when I finally told him how I really felt, he...supported me and said that he liked me for who I was and that I shouldn't change myself." she replied

 

 

 

"I see, so you want him back because of how he was nice to you?" Damien asked

 

 

 

"well no…it's more than that. He proved to me that there are people out there that understand how I feel. He was the first person to want me to be happy…for real. To just enjoy what I like doing with my life and...like myself." she said smiling a little

 

 

 

 

"Don't you see? That's why I want him back! Please…can't you do that?" she said weakly

 

 

 

Damien then looked away from her

 

 

 

"I, unfortunately, can't do that. It would be like asking for a miracle cure for a deadly disease, and that that said cure…didn't exist."

 

 

 

 

As their conversation continued in the throne room, with Beethoven's music playing, right outside the door an exhausted Izawa put up his last ditch effort to help the Demon Lord's plan of killing the Fledglings one by one to succeed.

 

 

 

"Just what exactly is he doing?! Why is there music playing in the throne room?" he thought "unless this is the Demon Lord's plan to mess with the girl's head before…ugh alright, I'll have to buy him some more time." 

 

"We have to help the Demon Lord's plan" Akemi thought

 

 

"You're right Akemi. I know we have to do this, and I'll fight with all I have!" Hikaru thought

 

 

"why is there music playing?" Rhyme thought

 

 

 

"what the hell's goin' on in there yo? Hang in there Shiki, we almost there." Beat thought

 

 

 

"C'mon Rhyme jus' a bit more yo! He's almost there!" Beat cried.

 

 

 

 

By now they were in their half Enlighten forms overwhelmed with pain. The only thing that kept them from fading away was how they both had white Angel energy around them slowly healing them due to how they've received so many wounds.

 

They then attacked Izawa once more desperate to go help Shiki. As they flew towards him blasting Angel energy at him, Izawa slashes through their blasts with Demon energy and as this happened, Akemi then closed her eyes and hanged her head a little and raised it up as she opened her eyes revealing her eyeballs to be red while laughing maniacally with Hikaru doing the same. 

 

"HAAHAA! AHAAAAHAA! YOU THINK YOU'RE STRONG ENOUGH?! THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET TO HIM?! NO ONE MAY HARM THE DEMON LORD! THESE EYES, WHEN OUR VERY EYEBALLS ARE RED, IS THE STATE OF OUR TRUE POWER!" Akemi screeches

 

Hikaru then joins in

 

"EHEEEH! NO MATTER WHAT YOU TRY, IT WON'T BE ENOUGH! I'LL RIP YOU BOTH TO SHREDS HERE AND NOW!" she snarls

 

 

Akemi then teleports away from Beat and Rhyme making them look around confused, only to then feel dozens of slashes on their entire body as Akemi teleported around them making them scream. She then appears in front of Beat, and choaks him as she raised him into the air and electrocutes him with her demon energy and stabs him in the stomach with her claws, before slamming him onto the ground, making Rhyme look at him terrified

 

"STOP!" she screams

 

the moment she does, black demon fire slams into Rhyme's chest making her get launched back, only for it to them dissolve into the shape of Hikaru. She then repeats the same teleport slash attack Akemi did earlier on Rhyme, but tore deeper into Rhyme's skin as her energy began to leak from her body. Hikaru then laughs as she throws Rhyme into the air, and shoot demon fire at Rhyme causing her to scream in pain before falling to the ground. When she does, Hikaru then just stomps on her chest over and over laughing.

 

as this happens, Izawa then closes his eyes and opens them revealing the same red eyeballs and sends a wave of fire towards Beat and Rhyme as they lay on the floor almost knocked out.

 

 

 

As Shiki and Damien continued dancing he then asked her another question

 

 

 

"So the reason you want him back is because he's so kind to you? Am I not kind to you Shiki?" he said slyly

 

 

 

"well…you killed all those Fledglings and you…why are you doing this?" she asked weakly

 

 

 

"Don't get mad" Shiki thought "Please…not yet, Beat and Rhyme aren't here!"

 

 

 

"well I don't have guests very often you know. So I felt a little, excited and thought it'd be nice to do this" he said sweetly

 

 

 

Damien's face then hardened

 

 

 

"do you not like this?" he said darkly

 

 

"I…I do…it's just I…I want my friend back." she said sadly

 

 

 

"I know you do, but you need to let him go. He no longer exists and you need to accept that." he replied

 

 

 

"No…no…he can't be gone! He just can't I…I trained like crazy to come here…are you saying I wasted my time?" she said with her eyes watering

 

 

 

"I'm afraid so…so you should accept this, it'll all be easier if you do." Damien said reassuringly

 

 

 

"But…I can't" Shiki said crying "I just can't"

 

 

 As Beat and Rhyme lay helpless on the floor the Demon wave of fire Izawa made smashes into them, making the siblings scream to the point of crying, by now, they were having a hard time keeping their eyes open

 

 

"Rhyme...I don't think...we gonna...be able...to help Shiki" Beat said weakly

 

"Beat...d-don't...think...like...that...we..can't die here" Rhyme said barely beyond a whisper

 

Beat then felt his eyes water a little

 

"Neku...I...I'm sorry" he whispered

 

at that moment Beat then passed out with Rhyme being the only one still hanging on. As she closed her eyes and was about to pass out, she saw a flashback to when they had gotten together for the first time in a week, and Neku held onto her bell-pendant smiling at her.

 

"Neku" she mumbled

 

At that moment Rhyme and Beat felt their bodies burning, as the demon trio approached ready to kill Beat and Rhyme they then stopped, stunned at what they were seeing. Beat Rhyme's bodies glowed white outlined in gray, and unleashed a massive dome of Angel-energy blasting the demons away as Beat and Rhyme roared like lions. when the dome dissolved they then saw Beat and Rhyme as Angels again but in their full power.

 

"You're not the only one that has a hidden power to tap into!" Rhyme shouted

 

"And now you're in for it yo! We ain't stoppin' here!" Beat yelled angrily 

 

with their entire bodies now surging like fire, like their true Angel wings, Beat and Rhyme became bolts of lighting and slammed into all three demons, they then unleashed their angel soul surge level 2 on them, making the demons all scream in pain as Beat and Rhyme became a drill of energy and slammed into the trio becoming an explosion at the end. This then wounds them so deeply that they all scream in pain as the demons recieve slashes on all their clothes and skin, revealing their demon energy leaking out.

 

Beat and Rhyme then unleash a massive wave of Angel fire at Izawa and the others, blasting the demons away from them making them slam onto the ground. As they struggle to get up, they then fire demon energy again and the fight between Rhyme, Beat and Izawa, Hikaru and Akemi was finally seeing its finale as Izawa was getting weaker, his attacks had less of an impact. by now, they had just returned to their normal eyes, losing their powered up state

 

 

"No…I…I need to give him more time…just a little more." Izawa thought "Sir, please hurry!"

 

 

"Nngh! Can't keep...this up much longer" Hikaru said weakly

 

 

"We have to...help the...Demon Lord!" Akemi said while clenching her stomach

 

He then created twelve clones of himself, each one of them attacked viciously while unleashing Demon energy at Beat and Rhyme. They dodged it and retaliated by unleashing their own energy at the clones causing them to dissolve.

 

 

 

By now Beat and Rhyme had returned to their Fledgling forms.

 

 

"this isn't good...that true powered up version of our Angel form drains us so fast" Rhyme thought

 

 

 

"Damn, it's like everything we threw at him didn't work yo. alla dat...and they just get back up. But…we gotta keep at it, jus…a bit…more." Beat thought.

 

 

 

Beat then charged into Izawa punching him in the face over and over, only to be choked by him and have Izawa unleash Demon energy at Beat causing him to scream in pain before getting launched back. Hikaru and Akemi then take this time to heal themselves

 

 

"Beat no!" Rhyme cried

 

 

She then ran to Beat in an attempt to heal him only to have herself trip over Izawa grabbing her by her right leg.

 

 

 

 

"you're not gonna get away!" he roared

 

 

 

He then threw Rhyme with such force that she slammed herself into a wall, laying there unconscious.

 

 

 

"NO RHYME! YOU GOTTA GET UP! DON'TCHU DO DAT, YOU GET UP NOOOOW!" Beat screamed

 

 

 

He then manages to get up and start running towards the Watchman

 

 

 

"YOU AIN'T GONNA KILL MY SISTEEEEEER!" he screamed enraged at Izawa getting closer to Rhyme.

 

 

 

Unknown to either of them is that she was pretending to be unconscious to trick the demon into getting closer to her. She used a bit of her energy to amplify her sense of hearing and time the next attack just right to hurt the demon.

 

 

 

Once he had gotten a certain distance she then opened her eyes and unleashed a massive amount of energy causing black orbs to leak out of his stomach.

 

 

 

"Alright, I'll have to lead them away from the door now and get them farther away. that way…if I have to die…these little kids won't be able to get to their friend in time." Izawa thought.

 

 

 

He then snapped his fingers and teleported away from the enemies back to Hikaru and Akemi and clenched his stomach in pain.

 

 

 

"alright…I have to run" he thought

 

"good idea, we have to distract them for just a bit longer" Hikaru added

 

"yeah, that's the plan" Akemi thought too

 

 

 

Izawa and the others then ran away, clenching onto where they feel wounded the most with Izawa clenching his stomach hoping the Fledglings would follow him. Being so caught up in the situation, Beat and Rhyme charged after him without hesitation. Something that's very unlike Rhyme, but all she could focus on was killing him to go help Shiki.

 

 

"You ain't gettin' away! I'mma pound you for what you demon freaks did to Phooooooones!" Beat cried

 

 

He then charged up his instant kill attack in his left hand and shot it at the Watchman

 

 

He then turned around and saw the energy flying towards him with only seconds to react to what Beat had unleashed but it was too late.

 

 

 

"No! I….I failed" Izawa thought

 

 

 

He then dissolved into black orbs in front of them.

 

 

 "NOOOOO!" Hikaru yelled

 

"IZAWAAAA!" Akemi cried

 

Akemi then fell to her knees and cried, and Hikaru then fell to her knees from exhaustion. Beat then walked towards the girls and charged two instant kill shots in his hands. As he did, Hikaru clenched her stomach in pain from one of her previous wounds and passed out, causing Akemi to hold her sister in her arms crying as orbs leak out of Hikaru

 

"Just do it" Akemi said sadly

 

"huh? Whatchu say?" Beat said confused

 

"Kill me...but please...PLEASE spare her! She just wanted to become something more, to serve the Demon Lord not just as a maid, but as a fighter too. She's...my little sister" Akemi said as her voice broke

 

"Your sister?...so...all this time, you were looking out for each other, just like with me and Beat" Rhyme added

 

she then hanged her head a little

 

"I'm sorry that it had to be this way...but the Demon Lord isn't who you think he is, he's my friend, he's a boy from Shibuya named Neku Sakuraba. THAT is who he is, not some scary Demon Lord" Rhyme said sadly

 

 

Akemi then looked at Rhyme in shock

 

 

"I...I had no idea. I've been a Demon for many centuries in the RG's time. I've been one for so long that...I guess I forgot about that, that we were once something else, with friends and family from the past" she said smiling a little

 

 

Beat then looked down, remembering how in a way, that's how Rhyme was in the UG, that she forgot about him

 

 

"I know what that's like yo. In the Reapers' Game, my little sister Rhyme forgot who I was, even if I'm her brother. So...You don't remember your life before?" Beat said clasping his shoulder

 

 

"No. When we become a Demon, that's all we know, all other memories fade away, that's where Izawa came in, he was there for me and my sister and helped us control our powers...but...Hikaru is all I have left now" she replied

 

 

she then closes her eyes and sees Hikaru's skin begin to heal and she wakes up. the two demon maids then stand up unsure of what to do being around their enemies

 

 

 

Beat then lets his instant kill shots dissolve

 

 

 

"You know, for demons, you guys seem aight" Beat said scratching his head

 

 

 

Hikaru then chuckled, sensing the conversation Akemi had with them the moment Hikaru made eye contact with Beat

 

 

 

"I guess we'll take that as a compliment" Hikaru said with  a smile

 

 

 

"So...will you let us pass? after all, you guys were just doing your job, trying to protect your leader...and you should know, we don't want to kill him, we just want our friend back." Rhyme said sweetly

 

 

 

Hikaru and Akemi knew better than to let intruders pass, but they were at their limit, they were still exhausted and knew there was nothing they could do.

 

 

 

"Against my better judgement...yes...we will" Akemi said with a smile

 

 

 

"While my demon instincts say for me to kill you, I know I'm too tired for it and just for the record, although we didn't get to spend as much time with the Demon Lord Damien like we had wished we could've, thanks to all this commotion, we see him as our friend too. I don't know why this Neku Sakuraba boy means so much to you guys, but...he's lucky to have friends like you." Hikaru said crossing her arms while smiling

 

 

 

this then made Beat and Rhyme chuckle

 

 

 

the two maids then bowed out of respect and then waved good bye before dissolving into smoke and vanishing into the air

 

 

 

 

"Aight now let's go help Shiki yo!" Beat cried

 

 

 

"Beat wait a minute we can't just charge in there!" Rhyme said to him

 

 

 

"We ain't got time to wait Rhyme! We gotta hurry to help Shiki!" he yelled at her

 

 

 

"and we can't fight Neku like this! We need to heal ourselves Beat!" she said urgently

 

 

 

Beat then told his sister that she was right and began to heal themselves.

 

 

 

After they both felt better, Beat and Rhyme raced towards the door unaware that they had fallen into Izawa's trap by leading them away from the door, now it would take longer for them to reach it and help Shiki.

 

 

 

The song they danced to was finally starting to end, but as it did Damien had more questions for Shiki.

 

 

 

"So do you still want him back?" he asked sweetly

 

 

"Yes I do…he's my friend." Shiki said weakly

 

 

Damien then sighed and smiled without showing his teeth

 

 

"I see that nothing I've said has gotten through to you. The human mind can be so stubborn that's, a problem that you Fledglings have to deal with. So you're sure that you want him back?" he asked as they danced

 

 

"yeah…I..I'm sure." she replied

 

 

"then say it" Damien told her "tell me what you want"

 

 

"I want him back" Shiki said quietly, feeling intimidated

 

 

"what was that? I need you to speak up" Damien replied

 

 

"I…I want him back!" Shiki said louder

 

 

"I want Neku back!" she cried as loud as she could

 

 

This then caused the music to instantly stop and Damien to stop dancing with her, causing Shiki to get off of his feet, and he let out…a very low growl.

 

 

"you're so stubborn…don't you understand that you  _can't_  get him back?" he said softly just barley beyond a whisper

 

 

"I was hoping to help you understand…but…I see that your loyalty to that boy is too strong. That no matter what I tell you, you refuse to accept the truth." he said darkly

 

 

"you ignorant little girl…is it really that hard for you TO UNDERSTAAAAAAAAND?!" he screamed

 

 

He then punched Shiki in the face with so much force that she was sent flying back from the punch and slammed her back against a wall of the throne room. The moment she did, her clothes went back to normal, and the wall broke into pieces. She was filled with so much pain from the impact that Shiki coughed up a pink orb.

 

 

The moment Damien saw the orb he then saw one of Shiki's memories…

 

 

"hmmm what an interesting attack Neku's using on that girl…but that's not Shiki, she doesn't have pink hair…no matter I think I have a wonderful idea now" he thought smiling at his plan.

 

 

She then looked at Damien and when she saw what he was doing…she became extremely pale…

 

 

"No…please…don't" Shiki thought

 

 

Damien had his hair in his face with the only thing visible being his pointy grin. He extended his left hand out to her with his claws at thier original length again, generating three red orbs in his hand.

 

 

"no…Neku _..._ Please…don't do this" she thought terrified

 

 

 

The orb in the middle of his hand then expanded completely engulfing his hand in it, while the other two orbs floated around it.

 

 

 

Shiki then felt herself get extended into the air…and felt like she couldn't breath…that she was choking.

 

 

"No…" she thought with her hands wrapped around her neck

 

 

 

"I can't breathe! I'm stuck in a human form!" she thought.

 

 

 

He then began to expand the orb around his hand to a much larger size. It grew larger and larger making Shiki fear the worse.

 

 

 

"No…Neku…I…I'm so sorry" she thought as she began to cry

 

 

 

She then closed her eyes expecting to never see Neku again, but just as soon as Damien began extending out his fingers preparing to shoot Shiki they both heard a voice cry out.

 

 

 

"RRRRAAGH! I'M ALL SORTSA PISSED YO! YOU BACK OFF FROM SHIKIIIIIIIII!" Beat cried from hearing Shiki wheeze and gag

 

 

 

He then kicked open the door and shot out his energy at Damien, being distracted by Beat, he then lost focus on his energy causing Shiki to return to her ghost form and fall towards the ground only to be caught by Rhyme who generated Angel wings and increased her strength to make it easier to carry Shiki.

 

Damien then caught Beat's energy with his right hand and closed it into a fist breaking apart the energy.

 

"so…it looks like you're all here" Damien said slyly


	21. Fighting for a Friend

Damien then simply grinned at them (without showing his teeth) and simply crossed his arms analyzing them. He knew he could easily kill them with one hit, and was wondering if he should do so…

 

"it'd be much easier if I did that…but…then where would be the fun in fighting them if I didn't get to listen to their screams of pain. To watch tears stream down their face as they are overwhelmed with agonizing pain." he thought

 

"however my real targets are Sanae Hanekoma and Joshua…hmmm, I have yet to have seen a true battle with his human form, there was too much interference last time and since Sanae sees him as such a dear friend, he'll, of course, push himself as hard as he can to protect Joshua. That's an issue I'll have to face again when I try to kill them once more"

 

Beat, noticing how quiet he was being just glaring at them felt uneasy, and began to feel nervous wondering why Damien just stood there. As this happened Rhyme healed Shiki so she could be ready to fight.

 

"Good, Shiki's feeling better" Damien thought

 

"After all, there wouldn't be much fun killing them if they didn't fight with all their heart. Really try to get their little friend back. It'll be fun to tease her, to tease all of them by making this fight longer. To let them think they have a chance before I kill them all."

 

"Whatchu doin' yo? Ain't you gonna fight?!" Beat said strongly

 

"of course I am…oh and by the way you can drop the tough guy act…I can sense your fear…infact it's flowing in all of you. Regardless of how you all have prepared for this, you all know the risks, that this could be could suicide." Damien said smiling

 

"Whatchu say?! I ain't actin' and I ain't scared of you yo! So you can bring it man, I'mma pound that demon which outta you and get Phones back!" Beat said strongly

 

"Yeah we all are!" Rhyme shouted "you can't scare us!"

 

"and you're _not_ going to mess with my head again!" Shiki cried angrily with her hands clenched into a fist

 

She then snapped her fingers teleporting Mr. Mew over to her side

 

Damien then simply sighed and placed his right hand in his pocket, and snapped his fingers with his left hand.

 

The three friends then saw their energy, it was shaking extremely fast and was very unstable.

 

"although you three hide it from yourselves, you're all terrified. Look at your energy, and then look at mine…mine is completely stable and calm. Your energies are giving off a presence of uncertainty." he said smiling

 

"Do you want to feel the presence of my energy?" he said coyly

 

He then removed his hand from his pocket and with snapped both hands simultaneously.

 

They then felt overwhelmed with fear. They felt like they were about to die, making Shiki, Beat and Rhyme get watery eyes and chills down their spine and feel sick to their stomach as they felt his bloodlust, his thirst to kill and hear his victims scream in pain. What's worse is that they then felt how their anguish…would make him happy, that seeing others suffer makes him smile and laugh.

 

"I…I ain't scared of him! I..I can't be scared yo! I gotta be there for Phones…and I gotta keep Shiki safe for him man." Beat thought

 

"I…I AIN'T SCARED OF YOOOOU!" Beat screamed he then charged up to Damien throwing several punches at him…with every one of them missing.

 

Damien, taking advantage of his lightweight, and lanky body was able to effortlessly slide to the left and right dodging each attack.

 

It was so graceful it was almost as if he was dancing again, yet another part of Neku's sophistication as a Demon.

 

Damien then grabbed Beat's right hand and stopped his combo

 

"Huh? What the hell?" Beat said in shock

 

"You need to pace yourself when you fight Beat…you shouldn't be so DIRECT!" Damien cried as he punched Beat in the stomach, creating the sensation of his ribs being shattered.

 

As a result of the sensation, Beat began screaming in pain. As Damien prepared to attack him again Rhyme teleported over to Beat and made him turn into his angel form

 

(thanks to their energies being linked very strongly Rhyme then became an Angel at the same time as him)

 

Shiki then snapped her fingers and became her angel form too, with Mr. Mew becoming a panther.

 

"So this is how you plan on fighting me huh? Pretty good strategy except…you're still not on par with me." Damien said darkly

 

He then shot three bolts of lightning at them causing the Angels to then dodge the attack they then closed in on Neku's body and tried to punch him, only to have the angels who got there first (Shiki and Rhyme) to be choked and electrocuted by him, being sent flying away from him.

 

"Guys you Aight?" Beat cried out

 

"yeah…we gotta try something else Beat" Rhyme exclaimed

 

"Guys I have an idea remember what Mr. H said about Angels? How we're like living bombs in this state?" Shiki asked

 

"yeah" Beat replied

 

"well let's take advantage of that" she said strongly

 

"heh heh, aight Shiki good idea" Beat said agreeing with her

 

They then charged at Damien again but this time unleashed Angel orbs, lightning and fire at their former friend.

 

Being agile as a Demon, he moved at ridiculous speeds dodging the attack.

 

Anticipating that he would do so, Shiki teleported herself to him as he focused on the enemies in front of him, causing him to get punched in the face by her with such force that he slammed himself against the ground. Only to then catch himself by extending his hand out and using his upper body strength to propel his body upward (similar to doing a one handed handstand) he then smiled at Shiki glad that his little enemies were getting more serious.

 

With his attention temporarily on Shiki, Beat and Rhyme then charged in only, to have Damien catch them from his peripheral view and round house kick Beat's angel form sending him fling back, he then recovered by using his Angel wings to regain balance and made seven clones of himself with Rhyme alongside him, flying towards him at incredible speeds.

 

Shiki and Panther Mr. Mew acted as decoys fighting in unison trying to keep Damien's focus on them.

 

As the fight continued to get their friend back, Neku was feeling uneasy hearing muffled noises from the door.

 

"huh? It's started already hasn't it?" he thought nervously

 

He then took a deep breath and sighed

 

"Alright, I can handle this. I'm a Demon after all. Those freaks can bring it. I know I've got this, and if something goes wrong…Clarissa can help." he thought while crossing his arms sitting on the bed

 

"I know that I can handle this…" he said aloud trying to reassure himself.

 

The fight continued with all three friends attacking at once with Damien dodging all of the attacks. as Shiki held his attention while fighting with Mr. Mew's panther form, Beat flew in from his right with Rhyme flying alongside his clones.

 

Damien noticed how crowded the fight was getting as he dodged some of Beat's clones that began trying to punch him. He then let's out a dome of Demon energy sending them all flying back.

 

He then simply smiled at them knowing that their efforts were useless

 

"Do you see now…that there's no point? I can easily kill you all right now." he exclaimed smiling.

 

He then arched his back forward with him extending his fingers outward preparing for his next attack.

 

"it's time they see the true aggression a demon can unleash" he thought

 

As this happened in the Demon realm, Joshua was watching the fight unfold in his district. Mr. H was with the Higher Ups again reporting that his pupils are now fighting to save Neku.

 

"Can they really do this?" Joshua wondered

 

"Damien…or should I say Neku is holding back. He's the mix of his intelligence and creativity and has the ferocity of a Demon. If he really wanted to…he could end this fight right now. He could kill them all with one attack and yet, he's prolonging the fight…Why? Is it cause he thinks it'll be fun to watch them suffer?" Joshua thought

 

"if Mr. H is right and by some miracle, they can save Neku…which isn't likely but… if they can…they'll have to be careful" he thought

 

At that moment Joshua was then haunted again by moments he had with Neku remembering how he and Neku helped Triple 7 from Def March get his microphone back.

 

"uuugh Why can't these thoughts go away?! Neku is just my Proxy…he's…he's…no don't think about that word again. He CAN'T be that...right?. No, it's impossible. I'm a Death God, he's just a guy from Shibuya, sure we have some things in common but... I need to remember to focus on what I'm doing right now. In the Game he was a Player and I was the Composer. I'm beyond a normal human." he thought again.

 

Joshua then focused back on the portal trying to distract himself from his thoughts.

 

Damien then flew over to his former friends as they recovered from his blast of energy at blinding speeds, making him a gray blur, and began to slash each one of them with his claws over and over causing them to all let out screams of pain, making Damien laugh.

 

"AHAHAHAAAAHA! Yes! yes! That's what I want to hear! Show me anguish." he yelled happily

 

As their screams got louder and louder the sound traveled into Damien's mind making Neku gasp

 

"what's that noise?!" Neku exclaimed aloud

 

"it's kinda muffled but….it sounded like screaming…like someone was in pain." he thought

 

Clarissa then appeared to Neku sensing how he felt troubled by the screams and sat on the bed with him

 

"Neku what's wrong? Are you okay?" she said weakly

 

"Yeah…I'm fine" Neku replied

 

But his body language said otherwise. He was turned away from her with his back curved almost like he was trying to curl into a ball.

 

"you seem upset Neku…" she said pretending to be sad

 

He then heard his former friends scream again due to Damien unleashing energy at them which made them feel like they were burning.

 

"Rrrgh! I don't…I don't like it, Clarissa. Those people…it sounds like they're being murdered." he said frustrated

 

"yes but you need to remember that those aren't people. Those are the screams of those evil spirits I told you about Neku. We're winning." she said smiling

 

"yeah but…I…I don't want to be a murderer." he said weakly

 

"what gives me the right…to take away someone's life Clarissa? I…I'm a Demon Lord but…that's another form of life to right?" Neku said as he felt his frustrated

 

He then heard the screams again but it was someone calling out to him.

 

"Phones! Phones you gotta stop dis PLEASE! PLEASE! IT HURTS!" the voice said

 

"Huh? Phones…what? I…Rrrrgh! I don't want to kill someone just because they don't like me!" he yelled angrily

 

"I know Neku, but you need to remember that they'll stop at nothing to kill you. This isn't murder, this is self-defense. You're protecting your life because they're endangering it." she said sweetly

 

"Clarissa…I…I don't want to hear the screams. Please…can you put more energy in me?" he said weakly

 

"of course" she said sweetly

 

"this is perfect" she thought

 

"Neku's blocking them out. As long as he trusts me…as long as I can pour my energy into him, altering his memories and make his friends the enemy, then he'll be mine. I just have to be patient and then…when he finally asks me to do it…I'll take over him…killing him, and by the time he realizes I was using him… it'll be too late."

 

She then places her hand on his back, pouring more energy into Neku making him scream in pain and drown out the screams of his friends.

 

Damien then grabbed Beat by the neck and threw him across the throne room causing him to hit one of the arched pillars in the room.

 

He then retaliated by shooting out Angel fire at Damien he then blocked it with his red demon energy. As he did this noticing how confident Damien was, Rhyme then turned into a wolf Noise pouncing at him running alongside panther Mr. Mew.

 

Damien caught this by the corner of his eye and dissolved into black smoke and flew farther away from them, before returning to his demon form again.

 

"That kid" he thought in shock "She…she became a Noise? Only Kurushii and a few other Angels and Demons could do that. Heh heh…doesn't matter. It's a neat trick…but they're not on par with my power." he thought reassuringly

 

He then dodged the vicious swipes from panther Mr. Mew and Rhyme's wolf form. He then grabbed he animals by the neck and electrocuted them sending them hurdling back. Shiki then flew towards Neku's body and tried punching him causing him to dodge her blows.

 

As she did this Beat then managed to recover from the most recent attack Damien did to him and tackled him from behind, causing Damien to turn into smoke again and phase through Beat. The moment he returned to his demon form Beat then grabbed him by the leg and slammed him down to the ground with such force it was like they all heard thunder when he reached the ground.

 

Rhyme had transformed back to her Angel form from taking the blow and Mr. Mew was a stuffed "piggy" once more.

 

Shiki then summoned four Mr. Mew clones that all flew towards her demonic friend with Angel energy around the toys. He then dodged the swipes that the toys unleashed at him, occasionally grabbing them when he had the chance and tearing them with his claws causing the clones to disappear.

 

As the fight continued Beat remembered something that Mr. H had shown them during their training.

 

"Dat's right! I could do that attack on him and get him good yo!" Beat thought

 

"Yo Shiki, Rhyme, fly as far away as you can. I'mma bust out my Angel strength aight?!" Beat cried

 

"okay" Rhyme yelled back

 

"got it" Shiki cried back

 

They then flew far back knowing a lot of debris was going to appear.

 

"what's going on? What are they planning? Those two girls backed up for Beat to get more space…hmm, I better approach this carefully." Damien thought as he stood his ground.

 

Beat then flew to Damien as such ridiculous speeds that his entire body became a blur and he tackled the demon lord, crashing him into one of the arched pillars causing it to crack. He then grabbed Neku's body's arm and threw him with immense power and strength causing him to go flying across the throne room.

 

"Shiki you're up yo!" Beat said strongly

 

"right!" she yelled back

 

As Damien flew farther Shiki then generated her Angel energy around her entire body and flew towards the demon lord. He attempted to block the energy as it hit his chest by generating black demon energy around his body.

 

"this gives me a wonderful idea" he thought "thanks to Demon skin being very dense and difficult to wound…I think this calls for a charade to be done"

 

He then allows the energy to blast him across the throne room causing him to crash against the ground.

 

"what?! No…no way. this is too easy" Shiki thought

 

"Did I really knock him out?" she thought

 

Damien then generated black orbs by thought, to make it look like he was about to face Soul Obstruction, making his former friends all look at him filled with shock, and eventually sorrow.

 

Seeing this then made Shiki's eyes water.

 

"no! we…we were supposed to save Neku…not kill him!" she thought fearing the worst.

 

"Neku…" she said weakly

 

She then went to the ground and powered down to her normal ghost state again to reserve energy as she ran to him.

 

"huh Shiki wait what're you doing?!" Rhyme cried

 

"Yeah Shiki don't get too close to him!" Beat said warning her.

 

"But guys…he's--

 

Damien then generated more orbs allowing them to fly towards the ceiling.

 

"no! guys…he's dying…Neku's hurt! We were supposed to save him not kill him! I can't imprint on someone who doesn't exist. I have to heal him, at least to the point where the energy's inside him so then I can imprint without having to worry about him fading." she said strongly

 

"So that's how they're going to get their friend back?…pathetic….no one can reach him…he doesn't exist anymore." Damien thought

 

Beat then placed his hand on his shoulder feeling uncertain.

 

"Tsk…Aight…jus' be careful yo." Beat exclaimed

 

"I will." Shiki said strongly

 

She then ran over to the "unconscious" Demon Lord generating her white Angel energy as she got closer to him, she made the energy stronger.

 

But when she got a certain distance, Damien opened his eyes and shot her with Demon energy so intense, it went through her chest and out her back causing her to unleash a blood curdling scream and collapsed with a gaping hole of pink energy coming out of her back.

 

Terrified of what she had seen Rhyme screamed the name of her hurt friend

 

"SHIIIIIIIKIIIIIIIIII!"

 

"No…she…she ain't really? How're we suppose to stop Phones…widout her?" Beat said weakly

 

To be continued…


	22. Taking Risk

Thinking quickly Beat told Rhyme to go put a barrier around Shiki and try to heal her. He knew what that meant for him, that he wouldn't be fighting with a partner to back him up…it would be him on his own. Rhyme realized this too and felt uneasy, she did as Beat told her too but she refused to leave her brother to face Neku on his own.

 

"Beat you can't take him on your own! It's too dangerous!" Rhyme cried out as she was healing Shiki with white Angel energy

 

"But what about Shiki Rhyme?! We ain't like his old friends, we ain't gonna abandon each other yo. You gotta stay and heal Shiki. We gotta keep her alive…for Phones. I promised her..dat I'd keep her safe, and dis is how I'm gonna do it. Please Rhyme, do this for Shiki, you know she'd do the same for you." Beat said strongly

 

Rhyme then looked to Shiki seeing how pink orbs were flying out of her back.

 

"He's right…I can't abandon Shiki. I won't do that to her…I have to trust that he'll be okay…he's the Freaking Rhino after all." she thought

 

She then took a deep breath and sighed

 

"Alright, I'll watch over Shiki, you go and fight Neku…but…please be careful Beat. Remember what I told you in the Game? Haste makes waste. Don't just charge up to him Beat, you gotta be careful this isn't some Noise we're dealing with." she said darkly

 

"yeah…I will Rhyme" Beat replied firmly

 

He then turned over to Damien who simply waited patiently for Beat to attack. He knew that Damien could've easily killed him when he was talking to Rhyme and felt on edge knowing that his demonic friend wasn't taking the fight seriously.

 

"Tsk…what's wrong widchu yo? I wasn't payin' attention to you, dat was your chance to attack me 'n you didn't go for it? Why ain't you really fighin' me?!" Beat roared frustrated

 

Damien then simply placed his right hand in his pocket and his left one on his tie, smiling at Beat.

 

"So you're saying that you wanted me to hurt you?" he asked coyly

 

"No…I ain't sayin' dat. But I know dat you had a chance to take your enemy down yo…if you was really fighin' me, you woulda attacked. I just don't get it man…why you messin' wid me?!" Beat yelled at Damien angrily

 

The Demon Lord then shook his head in disbelief of how dumb he was

 

"is it really that hard for you to figure out?" Damien asked in disbelief

 

He then let out an aggravated sigh at the stupidity of his opponent

 

"alright, let me spell it out for you." he said slyly

 

Damien then placed both hands in his pockets and spoke to Beat slowly like he was talking to a baby

 

"You…are… not… a …threat, you…are… not… that strong compared to me…so….I don't need to fight for real. You…are…not…worth…fighting" he said smiling to Beat seeing that angered him

 

"Grrrr whatchu say?! You sayin' I'm weak?! Dat I ain't worth your time?! Beat roared at Damien

 

"heh heh, at last you finally get it. You're not very smart are you?" Damien said tauntingly

 

Hearing that statement then made Beat smile

 

"Dat's right, I ain't that smart and it's cause of that, that I saved Phones' life when he was about to be erased by the Reapers' man. He said a smart person woulda stayed with the winning team yo 'n not help him! The bad side I was workin' for!" He said firmly

 

"Damn, if only he remembered the Game man, then dis would be a lot easier." he thought

 

"…but it's cause of me bein' not that smart that I made the dumb choice and saved him from dyin' when he was da last Player!" Beat continued

 

"So yeah, I ain't dat smart yo, and dat's why I'm willin' to try anything to save Phones!" he said strongly

 

Damien simply crossed his arms amused by Beat's determination to save Neku

 

"Beat…" Rhyme thought smiling at what he said while making Shiki's orbs go back in her body

 

"Aight, with Shiki outta the fight we can't do the imprinting plan yo. I gotta go wid my plan of beatin' Phones up to the point that demon witch gets outta him for now" he thought.

 

However as he got ready to attack, charging up orbs in his hand Beat felt his body burn.

 

"Nngh! What?…why do I feel like I'm burning up yo?!" Beat cried

 

"heh heh, that's the price that comes with not being a natural born Angel…you can only stay in this form for so long before it starts eating away at your energy. Only when you gain a certain level of experience would that go away...but you and your friends couldn't afford to do that could you? I wasn't going to sit back and let you all train to that level of strength. In other words, if you were more experienced like Sanae Hanekoma, or a natural born Angel, you wouldn't be in this situation right now. But...you're NOT a natural Angel, and now the form is starting to kill you." Damien said darkly

 

Rhyme felt the fatigue and burning too causing her to revert back to her Fledgling form knowing that she's putting herself at risk making herself easier to kill as a target.

 

"she's almost there" Rhyme thought

 

"heh it don't matter! I'mma stay in my Angel form for as long as I can yo. I'mma pound dat demon witch outta you! No matter what yo!" Beat screamed angrily

 

"hmph…bring it…Daisukenojo" Damien said smiling

 

"what?! Grrrrr! AW NOW YOU ASKIN' FOR IT!" Beat roared while running up to Damien

 

As he did, he then stopped and remembered he can't rush into a fight like that. He then let out an enraged roar as he allowed Damien to run towards him and then tackled Damien to the ground punching him several times in the face. Damien retaliated by grabbing Beat's left hand and electrocuted him causing Beat to go flying.

 

He then pounced at Beat slashing him with his claws over and over. Then Damien grabbed Beat with his right hand and tossed him into the air, teleported himself to the same height he threw Beat and punched him in the face causing Beat to go crashing down…and power down to his Enlighten form.

 

"Nngh!…dis is bad…I…I don't stand a chance in dis form yo. But still I ain't givin' up on Phones, I'm bringin' Neku back." Beat thought

 

Meanwhile, as this happened in the Demon Realm, Mr. H was telling the Higher Ups what's been happening so far.

 

"you are aware that this is all your responsibility right Sanae? I know you had good intentions, but should those Fledglings die trying to get their friend back…then you will be held accountable and will be considered a murderer, do you understand this?" a male Maestro asked

 

"I do sir." Mr. H replied

 

"You encouraged those Fledglings to attempt to do the impossible, lifting their spirits and making them hopeful, something Angels are very good at. But…one of your pupils…Shiki Misaki is defeated correct?" the male Maestro asked

 

"yes sir, and right now Rhyme is trying to heal her. I'm aware of how grim the situation looks, but those kids, they did the impossible! They became Angels. So I believe that they can do this." Mr. H replied firmly

 

"and what of Joshua? Is he still at his post?" he asked

 

"yes, and I'm aware you said that if it gets out of hand that I have to kill Neku, and that Joshua's punishment will be to watch me kill his Proxy. Speaking of which, he still seems very troubled by the fact that Neku is in danger of losing himself forever. I believe he's trying to deal with the fact that Neku trusted him when he was himself and that Joshua's trying to deal with his role as a Death God and how just like me, Joshua was once a normal human." Mr. H reported

 

"As you are aware, Death Gods kill humans, not befriend them. I think the fact that, even if he won't admit it, he did connect with Neku regardless of how he was using his Proxy, is making him question himself, making him wonder if Neku really is more than his proxy." He replied

 

"Sanae, the humans are very easy to manipulate. you know as well as I, that as a Death God, much like us Angels, Joshua has lived with death. It has been all around him. Both when he was a normal boy with his unique ability to see the dead, or as a God of Death. Killing countless people to bring them to the Higher Plane. We are meant to bring order to the afterlife by killing the humans." The Head Maestro stated

 

"Joshua is making the right decision. You must accept that both you and him aren't normal humans anymore. Therefore Joshua can't befriend his Proxy or else that could interfere with his role as a Death God. I know Neku Sakuraba is a friend to you Sanae, you got to see how your imprinting helped him, first hand. but you are a creature of the afterlife as well and must accept that you can't have too much attachment to the boy." the Maestro said sternly

 

"I'm aware sir…you are correct. I just hope that for his sake…that Neku can regain his sanity." Mr. H said weakly

 

Mr. H was then dismissed to the Composer district where Joshua was watching Neku fight his former friends and watched the fight alongside Joshua.

 

The fight continued with Beat shooting energy in his Enlighten form at Damien only to have him break the energy apart with his blasts of Demon energy.

 

Beat then charged up to Damien blasting more energy at him while trying to punch him in the face after blasting the energy.

 

"Come on Beat…You gotta fight just a bit longer. Almost all of Shiki's energy is in her." Rhyme said telepathically to Beat

 

"aight, I'll hang in there Rhyme…I don't think my plan of poundin' the Demon Witch outta him is gonna work. I keep hittin' him and it ain't enough." Beat thought back

 

Beat saw Damien rapidly swipe him with his claws causing him to dodge the attacks. He then grabbed Damien's right arm and shot his energy at him causing Damien to cringe with pain.

 

"heh heh, not bad…but still…that energy still isn't strong enough Beat." Damien said smiling.

 

He then extended his left hand out to Beat and shot his red Demon energy out of him causing Beat to scream in pain as he was sent flying back.

 

When he landed on the ground he felt his left wing crack

 

"Nnnngh! My wing!" Beat cried

 

As he laid on the ground filled with pain curled into a ball, Damien then walked over to Beat smiling.

 

"it's over Beat…there's nothing you can do." he said darkly

 

Beat then felt his energy power down to his Fledgling form.

 

"no…I…I ain't done yet." he said weakly

 

"oh but you are. You, your sister and Shiki are all going to die." he said smiling

 

"Come on! she's almost there!" Rhyme thought

 

as Damien walked closer to Beat, he then snapped made red demon energy burn like fire in his left hand and shot it at Beat making Beat scream to the point of crying as the energy burned his body, tearing his skin and clothes apart covering him in scratches

 

As Rhyme continued healing Shiki, finally all of her energy flowed back into her body

 

 

As Shiki finally regained consciousness, Rhyme heard her mumble as she began to open her eyes and lifted her face to see Beat in danger causing her to gasp.

 

"No Beat get up!" Shiki cried

 

She then scrambled to her feet and ran over to him shielding Beat.

 

"Shiki…you…just got better yo. Don't do this" Beat said weakly while wheezing in pain

 

"it's alright Beat. You protected me, just like you said you would. Now it's my turn to protect you." she said sweetly

 

Rhyme then ran over to Shiki and stood next to her.

 

"me too." Rhyme exclaimed

 

"and just how are you going to do that? You guys are still recovering from your Angel forms." Damien said slyly

 

"That's because we can still tap into out Angel abilities in our regular forms cause of the Angel energy flowing inside us." Shiki said strongly

 

She then extended out her hand and generated her pink energy inside her hand.

 

"Beat get up!" Rhyme exclaimed while generating her white angel energy near him, healing him.

 

"yeah…" Beat said strongly

 

He then rose to his feet standing behind Shiki.

 

"well now that all three of you are going to fight…let's see where this goes" Damien said smiling while extending his claws.

 

The three friends then teleported away from him and shot energy at him from all angles causing Damien to swiftly move at a inhuman speeds dodging the attacks.

 

Shiki then leaped at him from behind attacking Neku's body while unleashing a pillar of energy at him causing him to do a back flip to escape the hit.

 

She then summoned her piggy's panther form preparing to attack

 

"this is perfect. Although they're running completely on the determination to save their friend, they're all extremely vulnerable. I can hurt them without even wasting energy." he thought slyly

 

He then charged up to Shiki, dodging the swipes Mr. Mew's panther form as he punched the panther in the chest causing the blow to break the animal's rib cage causing the panther to roar in pain. He then began swiping at Shiki with his claws causing her to dodge the attacks

 

"good now keep dodging little girl" he thought

 

When he finally saw an opening he then grabbed Shiki by her neck and threw her across the room causing her to smash her self into an arched pillar in the throne him. Seeing this as an opportunity to attack her and kill her, Damien then prepared to charge at her only to have Rhyme sweep her legs beneath his causing Damien to trip and then catch himself by using the same break dancing he move he did before to propel himself back to the ground. He then punched Rhyme in the stomach causing her to cough up her energy and then round house kicked her in the stomach sending her flying.

 

Beat then attempted to tackle Damien only to have Damien slide to the left dodging Beat's charge. He then grabbed Beat with his left hand and threw him across the room. He then teleported to Beat and slashed him over and over before letting him hit the ground. He then teleported back to Shiki who was getting back to her feet and punched her in the face causing her to go flying towards the tapestry of Kurushii at the left of his chair.

 

 

 

He then teleported over to Rhyme who was also struggling to get back to her feet, he then choked Rhyme and tossed her into the air stabbing her with his claws over and over making Rhyme scream in pain. He then teleported behind her and slammed her face to the ground. He then picked her up by her left leg and threw her across the room causing her to go crashing down to the ground.

 

 

Damien, happy with how his former friends are covered in scratches and bruises, with their clothes torn apart, then walked towards Beat. Knowing that Beat has a lot of stamina he decided to then attack Beat and try to weaken him the most, since killing Shiki and Rhyme would be easy to do at the moment.

 

He then slashed Beat's chest and teleported around Beat attacking him from all angles making him scream. He then finished the attack with a powerful kick to Beat's back hurling him across the room making his body smash against the ground.

 

As he created two clones, one for each target including himself, he then walked to each one of his former friends holding them by their necks and charged black Demon energy in his hand causing his clones to do the same. As he prepared to finally kill his friends, they all activated a Soul surge by focusing their thoughts and energy on each other. Shiki opened her eyes revealing the color of her energy, with Beat and Rhyme doing the same.

 

As they activated their Enlighten forms, the all unleashed a powerful gust of wind sending Damien and his clones flying back.

 

They knew that they didn't feel strong enough to go into their Angel forms, but they knew that with their Enlighten forms, they at least had their strength increased.

 

They all knew they were taking a risk by pushing themselves this far, but they also knew that they had to get Neku back, that they wanted to be there for him no matter what.

 

 

To be continued…


	23. Brink of Death

Neku's former friends all viciously attacked Damien from all angles with him dodging their attacks, realizing that Damien's speed would cause this to happen Beat then punched him in the face sending him flying. The moment he got back to his feet he saw Rhyme flying at him shooting energy at him. He then became a puff of smoke and teleported away from Rhyme.

 

He then thought it'd be fun to beat them up with his red energy, showing them how inferior they really are to his power. He then engulfed himself in the red energy and flew to Rhyme attempting to slash her. She manages to dodge his swipes which then caused him to unleash the red energy as a dome hitting all of his former friends causing them to scream in pain.

 

They tried to ignore the fact that they were tired and kept on fighting. They shot orbs at him, causing him to block it with a barrier of red energy. They shot energy rays at him, they were blocked as well.

 

"Don't you understand now?" he said darkly

 

"there's nothing any of you can do now. Your little friend is gone. The only thing that exists is who I am now. You'll never get Neku back."

 

He then creates two clones to fight alongside him and they all charge up to the Enlightens standing before them.

 

They shot more energy at Neku's body desperate to weaken him, but to no avail. The clones tore through the energies and slashed his former friends over and over causing them all to scream in pain. The screams were so loud that they reached Neku again.

 

He was in his room resting again from absorbing Clarissa's energy panting out of breath.

 

"I…I think I'm starting feel better." he thought

 

"the energy's starting to hurt less. Towards the end I didn't scream, I only felt a stinging sensation. When it gets to the point…that…I only feel stinging. Then I can get more….I…I NEED more!"

 

He then sat on his bed with the only sound he could hear was himself panting.

 

But then…as he started to simply close his eyes to try to steady his breathing he heard the screams again.

 

The first scream was from Beat due to him being electrocuted by Damien's red energy.

 

"PHOOOOOOOONES! YOU HAVE TO STOP, YOU HAVE TO MAN! PLEASE! AAAAAAH! IT HURTS! STOOOOOOP!"

 

"why?" Neku said aloud as if he was responding to Beat

 

"So you can hurt me? You can't trick me. You're just trying to make me look like the bad guy, like I'm the one really hurting you. You brought this on yourself! And stop calling me Phones like it's some nickname like you know me…cause you don't…you're not gonna trick me!" Neku hissed

 

He then felt himself clench his teeth

 

"YOU'RE THE MONSTERS, NOT ME! I'M NOT GONNA FALL FOR IT, SO KEEP ON SCREAMING!"

 

He then heard Rhyme's screams too.

 

"PLEASE….NNNNNGH! STOP! PLEASE, PLEASE! WE….WE JUST WANT TO HELP YOOOOOOU!"

 

"Rrrgh! Shut up!" Neku roared back

 

 

 

"you're not trying to help me! You're trying to lure me into opening the door! Why else would your voice sound so clear to me?! And I don't give a rat's ass if you really are trying to help me, cause I know it's a lie. You're just like all the other people I met! YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND! YOU'RE NOT GONNA "HELP" ME AND I'M NOT GOING TO STOP ATTACKING YOU! YOU'RE THE ONES THAT WANT TO KILL ME CAUSE I'M A DEMON, CAUSE I'M DIFFERENT!" he roared back at Rhyme's plea

 

"they're the real monsters….not me" he said in a dark tone of voice

 

He then heard Shiki's screams

 

"AAAAAAAAH! PLEASE STOP IT! NNGH! YOU'RE BURNING MEEEEEEEEEEE! PLEASE STOOOOOP IIIIIIIIIIIIT! I…I WON'T GIVE UP ON YOU! YOU NEVER GAVE UP ON ME! PLEASE STOOOOOOP STOOOOOOOOOOP! NEKUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

 

Hearing his name called by her voice then caused him to gasp

 

"Stalker girl? She's here? That….that has to be her. It sounded just like that girl with the piggy I saw before I left the Higher Plane. That's that same creepy kid who somehow knew my name. it has to be her…why is she here?" he said aloud

 

"Unless…" he said hiding his face in his funnel collar

 

"She was really one of those evil spirits too."

 

"Rrrgh! YOU CAN'T FOOL ME! STUPID STALKER GO ON KEEP SCREAMING! I'M NOT GONNA BE LIKE YOU EVER! AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, CAUSE I'M A DEMON YOU GUYS GO AND TRY TO KILL ME!" he roared

 

Clarissa then appeared to him happy with how his mind was so twisted that he didn't even recognize their voices.

 

"Neku…you seem on edge is something wrong?" Clarissa asked pretending to care about him

 

"it's the evil spirits…they…they're all calling out to me…but I don't care. Let them scream, I'm not gonna fall for it." Neku said darkly

 

He then heard the blood curdling screams of his friends again and still had the same reaction.

 

"it doesn't matter what trick they pull Clarissa. Thanks to you…I know…who to trust." he said weakly

 

Clarissa then smiled at him

 

"I'm glad Neku…cause I just don't want you to be hurt again." she said sweetly

 

"thanks" he replied

 

"Don't mention it" she said placing her hand on his

 

"I'll always be there for you"

 

The fight continued with Damien smiling at how Beat and Shiki were in their Fledgling forms again…the only one who was till an Enlighten was Rhyme…but only half Enlighten. He then walked past Beat and Shiki who laid on the floor overwhelmed with pain to the point all they could do was lay on the floor wheezing. Before he continued walking over to Rhyme, he then picked up Beat's skateboard with his right hand, added some force, and then snapped it in half.

 

"Don't worry…you won't need this anymore." Damien said smiling.

 

He then went to Shiki and saw her holding Mr. Mew.

 

"Hmph alright, keep the toy. It's not like it's useful right now anyway." he said darkly

 

Damien then continued walking to Rhyme, happy to see she still had her wings.

 

 

She raised her right hand watching her arm tremble as she tried to generate more energy to attack, but she couldn't.

 

Damien then got closer to her causing Rhyme's irises to tremble.

 

"no…Please… please don't come any closer." she said weakly

 

Damien then smiled revealing the dozens of teeth he has and simply said.

 

"But Rhyme if I did that then I wouldn't be able to do this…to you." he said slyly

 

"Do this? What're you--

 

She then felt Damien stomp on her glass wings causing her to scream in pain as she felt an entire piece of her wing break apart.

 

Rhyme was overwhelmed with so much pain, that she too had now returned to her Fledgling form.

 

Things looked bleak for his former friends all they could do was wheeze in pain knowing that they've failed to save Neku, that their mission really was suicide and now…there was nothing they could do.

 

"Joshua…we need you…" Shiki thought

 

While the three friends waited to die Neku realized how silent his room was again.

 

"Clarissa…the noise…it stopped…do you think they're really gone? That it's finally over?" he said weakly

 

"I'm not sure Neku…but I think you're right I think it's--

 

Neku then heard Shiki scream as Damien began hitting her. The punches were so loud that they echoed all the way to the door.

 

"AAAAGH! Please…no…no more…please" Shiki whimpered

 

"it's her again" Neku thought "but she's one of those evil spirits that want to kill me so…Damien, my body…is just defending itself right?"

 

He then heard the punches get even louder to the point they sounded like thunder. The blasts of thunder got more numerous as Damien began to also hit Beat and Rhyme with his clones.

 

The thunder claps got louder and louder causing Neku to cringe as he heard his former friends unleash blood curdling screams.

 

"this isn't right!" Neku thought "you can only take defending yourself so far…my body…it's…it's going outta control I'm turning into a murderous little monster like them! Should I do it now? Should I let her take control? No…not yet…maybe he has a reason for this…maybe he has to be this violent cause the evil spirts are that tough."

 

He then began squeezing his bed sheets hearing the screams again. Shiki Beat and Rhyme were overwhelmed with pain using their desire to live to keep themselves from fading away. Thinking about wanting to live hoping that their angel energy would keep them alive. To take just a few more blows. But through all the screams he heard there was one voice that stood out to him.

 

Shiki…she was overwhelmed with pain to the point she started to cry

 

"Huh? Whose crying?" Neku said weakly

 

"why does that matter to you Neku? It means we're winning and--

 

"NO! this…this doesn't feel right Clarissa! You can only take self defense so far! Just what the hell is my body doing?! I…I need to know" he said strongly

 

He then rose up from the bed startling Clarissa.

 

The screaming continued in addition to Shiki's weeping

 

"NO!" Neku screamed

 

"I need to see for myself!" he cried dashing towards the door

 

He then twisted the knob over and over, left and right, but it was still locked

 

"Rrrgh! Dammit!" Neku roared

 

 

At that moment the screaming had stopped again with his friends only wheezing in pain, but it was too faint for Neku to hear it.

 

He then slammed his fist on the door, laying his head against it with tears streaming down his face.

 

"Clarissa" he whimpered

 

"I…I don't know what's going on!…I…I just want this all to end I want this fighting to stop"

 

She then rose from the bed, walked up to him and placed her hand on his right shoulder

 

"I know sweety, I do too. Just be patient it's almost over Neku." she said sweetly

 

"Yeah…" he said raising his from the door.

 

"Come on Neku…I think you need more energy" she said as they walked back to the bed

 

"yeah…good idea." he said hanging his head

 

"how could I have fallen for it? I was trying to open the door…I…I could've gotten hurt if Clarissa hadn't kept it locked" he thought

 

He then sat on the bed with her ready to feel his back burn…but when she placed her hand on his back…it only stung causing him to gasp

 

"Clarissa…it…it doesn't hurt!" He exclaimed "it's only stinging"

 

"good now we can move on, and I'll pour an even stronger amount" she said sweetly

 

As all this happened in the Demon realm, Joshua watched everything Damien did in shock. He then sees Damien choke Beat with his right hand, smiling at him before stabbing Beat in the chest, making him scream to the point of crying. He then drops Beat on the floor and does the same to Shiki and Rhyme

 

"they're really in danger" Joshua thought

 

"They're not gonna make it" Joshua said darkly

 

He then saw Mr. H turn towards him

 

"Josh, I know you and I aren't human, well...not like we use to be. we're immortal. We ascended to our ranks of power and I've been an Angel for many years, but they haven't and they're not natural Angels. So the energy can only do so much. You know what could happen to them. Damien could do it at any moment. Josh…I know the Higher Ups told you to only kill humans that you're not allowed to do anything else. But look at what's happened." Mr. H said with his hands in his pockets

 

"Mr. H…I can't and you know that. We're in enough trouble for how I ran the Reapers' Game and how on top of that, my Proxy's out of control. I'm in trouble for that too no doubt. Especially since after all, the Reapers' Game is what made Neku's mind and soul so powerful, to begin with. So in a way, this is all my fault. There's only so much one spirit can do before the Higher Ups aren't so forgiving." Joshua said crossing his arms

 

Mr. H then scratched the back of his neck and sighed

 

"Joshua…I know you're in trouble, I'm in trouble too, and I'm gonna be in even more trouble if those kids face Soul Obstruction. Josh, we've known each other for many years in the RG's time now, and I know by now how to read your energy. I know that you're still being bothered by your memories of being with Phones…but you see it now, don't you?" he said with his typical laid-back attitude trying to hide his concern

 

"Neku can't escape from Clarissa, she's ensnared him in her power. he's trapped, it's like she's a poison, slowly killing him. He thinks he needs her energy to keep himself free from his concerns. What exactly are you saying Mr. H? we're in a LOT of trouble and I usually like doing things my way…

 

He then let out his usual dark little laugh of his

 

"which is why we were punished, to begin with hee hee. But can you blame me? A Death God kills humans, and brings forth our superior and righteous judgment upon mankind. and I do what I think is right to better humanity. They need guidance Mr. Hanekoma…they're pathetic creatures. You're not really suggesting that I go help Neku right?" Joshua said with his hands in his pockets smiling

 

"Just push back the thoughts… Neku is just a Proxy...even if I protected Neku before. DON'T think about that word…I'm a God of Death…I bring order to the humans, I'm not a normal human from Shibuya anymore." he thought

 

He then saw Mr. H become very serious causing him to do the same.

 

"Joshua…you know what I'm trying to tell you. I know you've been thinking about it, like I suggested to you and I know that now…those memories of you being with him in the UG are bothering you, it's written all over your face. All I'm saying is, now's the time. Really think about this boss, and I mean REALLY think…just try to answer this one question…and if you can, then you'll know what to do." Mr. H said strongly

 

Joshua then looked at Mr. H curiously his hand placed on his chin.

 

"Do you care about Neku?" Mr. H asked

 

He then walked away from his Composer friend to give him some much needed alone time. To analyze his question.

 

"Come on Boss, you know the answer. You were able to put people first, to think about someone other than yourself and spare Shibuya…all because he couldn't kill you. As angry and hurt as he must've felt, to the point you told me that his arms were shaking when he held the gun, and I saw it too, watching the events unfold in the Higher plane, and even with that anger and hurt he felt towards you, he couldn't do it…he trusts you. He wants you to see him as a friend too, you know that...don't you Josh?" Mr. H thought

 

"Neku?…Do I care about him?" Joshua said aloud as he watched the portal he made

 

 

He saw Damien beating Neku's former friends over and over.

 

"Rrrrgh! Why won't these kids fade away?!" Damien thought

 

"I've been beating them over and over and yet…nothing…not even a single orb of energy has leaked out of them." Damien thought frustrated

 

He then took a deep breath and released it slowly

 

"To think these inferior, worthless little spirits would make me lose my composure. There has to be a reason for this…I know I saw Beat and Rhyme absorb Sanae's energy so it's likely that Shiki has it in her too." he said to himself

 

He then looked at his former friends seeing how their eyes were half-way open from barely being conscious.

 

"so that's it then….that's why it's so hard to kill these kids… heh heh Sanae, you're one hell of an Angel. This explains why you've survived so many battles and wars in your time as a Guardian Angel. You have extremely powerful energy, but since these kids haven't had Angel energy for very long, they still barely managed to put up a good fight. I'll admit it did make them as powerful as you…but they lack experience and their fear was making the Angel energy weaker. So that's why Sanae Hanekoma is so hard to kill, in addition to being the most powerful Angel in the Higher Plane other than the Higher Ups, he has an immense amount of endurance. That's what's been keeping these kids alive." he thought

 

Joshua watched the portal closely analyzing what Damien was doing, noticing that he was analyzing Mr. H's energy.

 

He then had a flashback, remembering a conversation he had with Neku in the Higher Plane, when he was going to help Neku tap into his imagination to help in Clarissa's war.

 

_"What? Don't tell me you're still mad about me keeping secrets from you?" he said to Neku_

_he then remembered what Neku said to him_

 

" _No…it's just…it's hard…learning to trust people…then getting that trust broken again…I can't forgive you…but I trust you, Joshua. I realize now that you did that cause…you and Mr. H, you're all in danger of facing Soul Obstruction and I guess…even now…I still see you as my friend."_

 

Joshua then mutters the question aloud again "Do I care about Neku?…No I--

 

He then had a flashback of when Neku went to Joshua and asked him why he wasn't at the statue of Hachiko when he hanged out with his friends in the RG for the first time.

 

_"I…I just really wanted to see you there Joshua…that's all"_

 

He then saw how Neku smiled when he said that in the flashback

 

"Neku…" Joshua muttered

 

 

Joshua then flashed back to his conversation about how Neku after he and Beat had beaten the Reapers' Game: Expert Mode

 

_"and what about Neku?" Mr. H asked_

 

_"He served his purpose, I don't need him anymore"_

 

But then Joshua immediately flashed back to when Coco was about to shoot Neku, and Joshua shot her, trying to protect him

 

 

"I...I tried to save him. I didn't have to though...but I...wanted to protect him. I wanted to save Neku" Joshua thought

 

 

He then stared at the portal seeing Damien summon two clones generating black lighting pillars preparing to kill his former friends.

 

"No matter how powerful Sanae is…even a Guardian Angel as their limits." Damien thought smiling

 

Shiki felt her eyes water as she stared at Damien's smile knowing that she would never see Neku again.

 

"Neku…I…I'm so, so…sorry…I…I don't want to...abandon you." she said out loud

 

As soon as Damien and his clones were about to lower their hands to kill them, a white orb appeared in the throne room gathering everyone's attention, it then materialized into Shibuya's Composer.

 

(unknown to him is that the Higher Ups had become curious about Joshua and were monitoring him from their district…completely in shock that he chose to help his Proxy)

 

Damien then allowed the lightning to dissolve from his hands and had his clones fade away.

 

"well I never expected to see you here Yoshiya Kiryu" Damien said smiling

 

Joshua then let out a sly little smile while pulling his hair back and let out his sinister laugh

 

"Please…call me Joshua" he replied

 

To be continued…


	24. Pushing Forward

Damien couldn't help but smile, he was ecstatic that the Composer had come to him, making his goal of killing Joshua and Mr. H all the more easy to achieve.

 

"Now, I'd just have to kill him and get these annoying Fledglings out of the way, and then I'll be able to kill Sanae…heh, I never thought my plan was going to run this smoothly" he thought

 

"So…Joshua…should we get started?" Damien asked eager to tear Joshua's skin apart

 

Sensing Damien's blood lust Joshua let out his scary laugh and then smiled at his former friend.

 

"not just yet Damien." Joshua replied

 

"Hm? Can you sense my energy too? Is that how you know my name?" he asked

 

"You mean your fake name. Deny it all you want, but I know who you really are. Also, yes, I can sense your energy too, allowing me to know your name and many things about you. I also couldn't help myself to watching the show…I found it very entertaining, although it was hardly fair." Joshua said while pulling his hair back

 

Joshua then looked at how badly wounded Beat Shiki and Rhyme here. They almost looked dead…well, more than usual. They looked limp like they had parts of their body broken. He saw cuts on them, bruises, their energy leaking out of them and how horribly their clothes were torn.

 

"they…they look even worse up close. Neku… he really was about to kill them" Joshua thought grimly.

 

He then smiled and snapped his fingers removing the wounds that Beat, Shiki and Rhyme had received, causing them to feel better and rise to their feet.

 

"Huh what're you doing here?" Rhyme asked confused

 

"Yeah ain't you in some kinda trouble prissy boy?" Beat added

 

"well let's just say, I'm doing this because I want to…I'm doing this to get my Proxy back" Joshua replied not wanting to admit his real reason for coming

 

"well…good cause we're gonna need your help" Shiki said morosely

 

"well I'm guessing you're all set right?" Damien said slyly

 

Joshua then smiled and snapped his fingers instantly unleashing his Composer form while turning everyone else into their Angel form.

 

"We messed up, as much as I hate to admit it, Neku's demon form was right...we were scared of him that whole time and...that has to be what was making the Angel energy not as strong. I know we can do this! Just hang in there Neku!" Shiki screamed in her head

 

At that moment, Shiki and the others closed their eyes and concentrated on their wings and felt their bodies burning. The moment they opened their eyes, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme activated the true power of their Angel Energy.

 

Seeing this made Joshua smile at them a little

 

"Good, now that they feel strong and their fear of Neku's bloodlust isn't holding them back anymore, now I can see what they can really do" Joshua thought

 

He then rose to the air and shot four pillars of energy at Damien causing him to dissolve into smoke with Beat charging at him.

 

"YOU AIN'T GETTIN' AWAY!" he cried

 

As the demon lord materialized from his mist form he was then shot with Beat's energy managing to tear a hole on his right sleeve, causing him to grunt in pain.

 

"how did he actually….hurt me?" Damien thought in shock "it's the Composer isn't it? he amplifies the energy of whoever is fighting alongside him. But no...no, although that is the case, it seems something else is happening as well. These children, despite their fear of me, are fighting once again. But unlike last time, the feel empowered, their fear of me seems completely gone and now they can harness the true powers of Angel energy"

 

He then shot Beat with black demon energy sending him flying, Beat then manages to recover and fly towards Damien roaring like a lion as blasted a massive beam of Angel energy, it was so big it nearly engulfed the entire room, making it nearly impossible for the Demon form to dodge. He barely manages to escape the energy, causing Neku's demon form to scream as the energy hits his arms and legs, tearing his clothes and skin.  Beat then focuses on Damien and manipulates time to slow him down. Beat then rushes towards his enemy and zig-zags slashing Damien with lightning.

 

"What?! How did he...I'm moving in slow motion?" Damien thought startled by Beat

 

he teleports away from Beat and then charges up to Joshua shooting multiple bolts of Demon lightning

 

Joshua then retaliates by simply staring at the energy, focusing his energy on Damien's and manipulated time itself and slowed down the speed of the energy flying at him. He then let's out his sinister laugh and merely holds out his hand to it causing the energy to break apart, and making Beat Shiki and Rhyme stare at him in shock.

 

"Interesting. I see…so the ability to manipulate time is something a Composer can do? Just like Angels?" Damien thought pleased

 

"Guys now's not the time for gawking." Joshua said sternly

 

"Y-yeah…Come on Beat THROW ME!" Shiki exclaimed

 

"Aight, get ready yo!" Beat roared back

 

He then grabbed Shiki's right arm and began to spin her around to build speed and then tossed her at Damien.

 

She then folded her wings back to build even more speed and attempted to punch him in the face only have it blocked by Damien's right hand.

 

"what?! Grrr NO! you're not gonna stop me now!" she exclaimed unleashing a dome of energy causing Damien to just barely escape the impact.

 

"Don't even try it!" Shiki roared she then fused with Panther Mr. Mew and caused his eyes to glow bright pink

 

She then roared as she ran at mach speeds thanks to manipulating her Angel energy in the panther and began slashing him.

 

"Rrrrgh! She's so fast…I'm caught…I can't dodge it." he thought

 

Damien then unleashed a dome of Demon energy sending the panther flying back.

 

Beat covered for Shiki by sending dozens of orbs of his energy at Damien. Hovering next to each other, Beat and Shiki unleashed their level 3 Soul Surge on Damien, becoming two massive drills of energy slamming into Damien multiple times. Shiki then became a bolt of lightning and slammed into Damien, and Beat became an explosion, making the dome of energy smash into Damien

 

Beat and Rhyme then unleash their level 3 Soul Surge being exactly like Shiki and Beat's except that Rhyme became a chain whipping Damien over and over, the final half being energy chains holding Damien down as Beat became a bolt of lightning slamming into Damien.

 

Rhyme then transformed into her werewolf Noise form and charged up to Damien as he dodged the orbs. Her werewolf form then let out a menacing howl as he pounced towards him, being so preoccupied with dodging the orbs, he was then slashed in the face by the werewolf thirteen times, causing him to retaliate by punching her chest cracking the animals ribs. Causing Rhyme to go back to her Angel form.

 

Joshua noticed this and instantly removed the sensation from Rhyme's chest with a snap of his fingers. He then extended out his hands causing a tremor in the throne room making it difficult for Damien to keep his balance.

 

Knowing that he can't attack if he doesn't even have his balance, Damien then teleports to Joshua while sending Demon lightning to him giving Joshua no time to react, and gets hit by it.

 

He then teleports himself away from Damien and blasts his energy at Neku's body.

 

As this happened in the Demon realm the Higher Ups began discussing Joshua's act of defying his orders…yet again.

 

"Honestly, he's probably the most out of control Composer we've ever had, and yet he's very wise for how young he is. He understands the true nature of a Composer." a female Maestro remarked

 

"True…but he went against the rules of the Reapers' Game, it is not supposed to run past the first week. Now granted the Reapers' Game is a new concept, before the game existed we only had the Angels' Game. The Reapers' Game has only existed for a few centuries, whereas the Angels' Game has been around for many millennia. Regardless of how new the Game is, he still knew what to do and went against the rules. Now he has done it again…but…on a more personal matter." a male Maestro exclaimed

 

"Is it possible that Joshua has befriended his Proxy?" another female Maestro asked

 

Thinking about such an unusual possibility, one of the male maestros sat in silence before answering.

 

"there is evidence that Joshua understood Neku's sadness and frustration in the Reapers' Game. After all, the life of a Death God can be a lonely one. Being a creature that kills humans, and brings them back to life cannot truly comprehend how precious the ability to exist truly is. To know what it's like to be alive. Even if Joshua was once a normal human with the abnormal ability to see the dead, it's as if the moment he became a God of Death, he began to reject the fact that he was once a normal boy." The Head Maestro said thoughtfully

 

"I suspect in some ways Joshua obtained a better understanding of the life he thought he had left behind through Neku. Neku has dealt with pain and sadness many times for someone so young. He knows the cruelty of the world and grew far too used to it. Just like how a Composer gets used to being around death, by constantly killing humans, when they are not involved in the Game." Amonae added

 

"it is because of this" Aiden continued "That I believe Joshua may have grown a form of affection towards the boy…a friendship if you will. But…he knows that a Death God can't befriend a human, and it's because of this I believe that is the true reason as to why he refuses to admit that he has a living friend."

 

"still do you really believe he is there to save Neku? He could just as easily be there to kill him, himself." a female Maestro added

 

"I am aware of the hostile nature that Joshua has within him, I truly believe if that were the case, then Joshua would've killed Neku's Demon form by now. Though I may not know of his true intentions, I honestly think that he is going to try to save him." another male maestro added

 

The twelve Maestros all discussed Joshua's behavior debating whether or not he should be punished for defying his orders once again.

 

As this happened Mr. H was in his district watching over Joshua and friends as he sees them all attack Damien at once with the now powered up Angels all becoming beams of lightning that all nearly electrocute Damein. He retaliates the attacks of his former friends by attacking them with clones, one for each person. While the real Damien focused only on Joshua.

 

"Just you wait Sanae…once I kill your little Composer friend, then I'll go after you." he thought slyly.

 

The fight raged on as Damien and Joshua both unleashed devastating attacks on each other. As the fight continued Joshua eventually began to feel tired from using so much energy. He then reverted back to his human form smiling as he unleashed energy rays at Damien while dodging the energy rays Damien shot at him.

 

The clones all fought the Angels hoping to weaken them, although they all began to feel a bit tired being around Joshua helped them endure and continue fighting. Beat Shiki and Rhyme all unleashed powerful beams of Angel fire on the clones causing them to get hurt and even tear through the tuxedo coat each clone was wearing, concerning Damien as he saw his clones dissolve into orbs.

 

"if they're actually able to hurt my clones, then that means if I'm not careful they could easily hurt me… heh so THAT'S why Composers and Angels fight alongside each other. They strengthen each other. When these kids were fighting on their own, due to their lack of experience with fighting with that energy and most of all, their fear of me weakening the energy's effectiveness." He thought intrigued

 

"they were nearly killed relying on an inexperienced warrior is just begging for trouble…but now, with their fears no longer controlling them, they're in their Angel form's true state of power and Joshua…being a Death God for so long, knows how to power up these kids. Rrrgh….looks like I'll have to be more careful when fighting them now." he thought

 

Taking advantage of his light weight Damien then unleashed rapid slashes on the Angels causing them to scream. Joshua then steps in and blasts a ray of energy at Damien from his peripheral view causing him to get hit with it and get launched at one of the arched pillars. He then snarled as he lifted the pillar from behind him with one hand and threw it at the Angels.

 

He threw it with such force that there was little to no time to react when it was thrown causing Rhyme to get hit and turn back to her Fledgling form. He then dissolved into smoke and flew towards Rhyme. Beat and Shiki flew after him desperate to reach Rhyme before he did.

 

Joshua, knowing how dire the situation is for Rhyme teleported to her and snapped his fingers freezing Shiki and Beat in place, and then teleported them to the ground.

 

"Damien…I have a little idea…how about we play a game?" he said with an evil smile

 

"Oh really? A game…hmm that depends on what kind of game it is Joshua." Damien replied slyly

 

Unknown to Beat and Shiki is that Joshua was starting a conversation with Damien to give Rhyme time to recover, which luckily for them, she had. She then walked beside her brother and Shiki and stood next to them.

 

"what do you think he's planning?" Rhyme asked Beat mentally

 

"man I dunno. But I think prissy boy is tryin' to give us a break yo." Beat replied

 

"yeah, we should take advantage of that and power down for now, to get some rest" Shiki added telepathically

 

They then turn back into their Fledgling forms.

 

"it's really rather simple" Joshua said smiling

 

"what da hell is he thinkin'?! that smile he's got makes me nervous yo." beat said mentally

 

"alright, in order for me to really mess with Damien…or should I say Neku…I should feed off of the bloodlust he feels as a demon. Lure him into a trap where he thinks he'll be able to kill me…then that's when I'll strike" he thought

 

"the game is that we'll see who get's to kill who first." Joshua said menacingly taping into his homicidal urge to kill

 

He then snapped his fingers and became human and summoned a pistol in his right hand

 

"I know Demons love to kill, so how about this? We have a little duel. I'll count down from ten to zero…then we shoot aiming for the center of our energies and I know you know what that means." he said in a dark tone of voice. Smiling ear to ear

 

"heh heh what're you getting at Joshua? You're making this way to easy…but fine…I'll play your game" Damien replied smiling while summoning a pistol in his left hand

 

As they prepared to shoot each other, the two boys stood pointing their pistols at each other, causing Joshua to flashback to when he was about to shoot Neku at the end of the Reaper's Game

In the mean time,…Neku was hearing more voices

 

"what's he thinking? He's…he's gonna try THAT again?" Shiki exclaimed

 

"what if this goes too far… what if he really hurts him?" Rhyme said nervously

 

"Damn that prissy boy better know what he's doin'." Beat remarked

 

"Huh? What's going on? What's my body doing out there?" Neku thought

 

"I know the fight's back on…but…who's that other guy? I heard him say his name was Joshua." he thought

 

Clarissa then appeared to him again.

 

"Things seem to be going pretty well don't you think?" she said sweetly

 

"yeah at this rate it'll--

 

Neku then heard what sounded like someone counting down.

 

"ten…nine…eight….seven--

 

"Clarissa what's going on?" Neku asked

 

"there's another evil little monster that's joined the fight, he's trying to trick your body into a trap that'll get him hurt" she replied

 

"Six…five…four--

 

"who's that counting down? Is that the other spirit? The one who just came to help the other evil spirits?" Neku said curiously

 

"Mhm, I can sense that he's going to try to shoot your body, and pour his energy into the bullets." she replied

 

"you really think that it'll hurt me?" he said weakly

 

She then smiled at him

 

"don't worry Neku you're a Demon after all, I know you'll be able to handle it" she said sweetly

 

"yeah…" Neku replied back

 

Joshua then continued counting with Damien wearing an evil smile excited that he'll get to shoot the Composer's human form.

 

"I have to time this just right. If I'm even a second off, he'll shoot me in the chest, killing my human form." Joshua thought

 

"three…two…one"

 

They both fired with Joshua shooting a bullet filled with Composer energy at his foe, making Damien scream as it hit his chest, shocking everyone, as he instantly turning into his Composer form punching Damien in the face seven times with a round house kick to his stomach. Sending Damien crashing onto the ground.

He then picked up Neku's body and threw him into the air and teleported to the height he threw his body and punched him in the face causing him to go crashing to the ground again with such force that Damien screamed in pain to the point of seeing tears build…shocking everyone even more.

 

He was fighting it the whole time, but the angel energy attacks and Soul Surges Neku's friends unleashed on his demon form, greatly wounded him, making him weaker.

 

"Rrrgh…he…he tricked me. Those wounds I received from the Angel Soul Surges and True Power Angel Energy attacks...now is when I truly feel their impact...I can't fight off the pain any longer" Damien thought

 

He then smiled at Joshua as he walked closer

 

"Joshua what're you doing?!" Shiki cried wishing she could move.

 

"Rhyme I think Joshua's going crazy…he might actually kill Neku, you've gotta do something!"

 

"you're all staying back" Joshua said darkly just barely beyond a whisper

 

He hen snapped his fingers freezing Rhyme in place.

 

"No! Joshua we were supposed to help him remember?" Shiki cried

 

"I know" Joshua hissed

 

He then walked closer and closer to Damien smiling.

 

"I know you've been holding back Damien" he said to his former friend telepathically

 

"Hmph really? And just what would give you that idea." Damien thought back

 

"because you're an energy being, just Gods of Death and Angels…so go on…show me what you really look like." Joshua said telepathically

 

"heh fine" Damien said aloud.

 

"Let me show you what I can really do" he said darkly

 

Damien then rose to his feet causing Joshua to stand in place.

 

"THIS is the true form of a Demon" he said softly

 

With a snap of his fingers, he became made completely of mist like Joshua's real form. But unlike the Composers, where they're white with a gray aura around them, or Angels being a blueish white color, the Demon version of this form is dark gray with a dark purple aura around it with red eyes.

 

Seeing what he really was…terrified them all especially Shiki

 

"No! so…if this is what he really is then…that time during Neku's training…when the illusion of Clarissa went into her demon form…she wasn't at her full strength like we thought she was! This…this is what she could've turned into?! Neku…he looks just like Joshua...but the demon energy looks more poofy like smoke." she thought

 

They all starred at Joshua and Damien with so much fear…and astonishment that their irises began to tremble.

 

Damien then smiled at Joshua

 

"I can't wait to kill you." he said just beyond a whisper

 

 

To be continued…


	25. Rising Up

The two powerful forms of energy each stared at one another analyzing the other one's energy while waiting to see who would strike first. Damien knew he could just as easily teleport himself to his former friends that are frozen in place and kill them so they wouldn't get in his way in the future, however, he also couldn't help but love the chance he has to finally kill Joshua and later on Mr. H.

 

"Alright…let's see what I should do…this is going to be a lot harder now that I'm fighting someone more experienced." he thought.

 

"What're you planning Neku?" Joshua thought

 

"I can't let Beat, Shiki and Rhyme get involved yet, I'll handle Neku on my own for now."

 

At the blink of an eye the two friends clashed as they engulfed themselves in their energy with Joshua becoming a beam of white energy, and Damien becoming black energy.

 

They both flew around the throne room in zig zag like patterns trying to over power each other in hopes of making one of them go back to their original form.

 

Damien then shot four balls of demon fire at Joshua while in his energy form. Joshua then flew into the orbs and into the energy attempting to push Damien with so much force that he'd go back to his Demon form.

 

Knowing that Joshua wanted this Damien then spiraled into Joshua's energy and dissolved into black orbs remaining invisible for a few minutes, waiting to see what Joshua would do.

 

Joshua then went back to his Composer form and allowed the gray aura around him to shoot out bolts of lighting.

 

Unknown to Beat Shiki and Rhyme is that his is a way that a Composer or True Demon Lord, or Mistress can sense another spirit's energy even if they're invisible and trying to make themselves undetectable.

 

Joshua then closed his eyes to sort of transfer his sight to the strands of energy and saw that they were leading to one spot in the throne room. He then opened his eyes and smiled as he shot a ray of energy at that spot. Damien revealed himself and then held out his hand breaking the energy apart.

 

Damien then smiled at his worthy adversary glad to be able to fight someone as strong as him

 

"Joshua, are you aware that this form of mine is named a music term just like yours?" he said chuckling

 

"Oh really? What would that be?" Joshua asked smiling

 

"this form of mine can also be called a Virtuoso form." Damien said slyly

 

"Ah, a musician who has achieved supreme mastery or skill in their profession. A nice title if I do say so myself. But why bring this up so suddenly?" Joshua asked

 

"well I was just remembering the time when Demons and Angels lived in peace, when we also got along with you Composers. It's funny how we use to share certain things, like the idea of having two names, and having music terms as titles, and now…it's all gone. Now that that friendship we once had is gone…it'll be fun making you renounce your title." Damien said smiling.

 

Joshua then let out his menacing laugh

 

"I don't believe you will be able to do that Damien, for you see you know as well as I do, that beings like us are not that easy to kill." he said with a serious face

 

Beat Shiki and Rhyme watch in awe as the two powerful beings shot massive amounts of energy at each other nearly engulfing the entire throne room with their energy.

 

"How're they doing that without Fading? Joshua…he's really this strong? It's no wonder then the Dragon Noise we helped Neku fight was so strong. Come on Joshua…you can weaken him…so we can get Neku back." Shiki thought

 

"Dis…dis ain't like anythin' I've seen before yo. Prissy boy…he's…this is crazy man…and Phones…he's a Proxy…so…he could get stronger than THIS?! He could get stronger then Prissy boy?" Beat thought amazed

 

"Come on Joshua, we're all counting on you to weaken him, we know you can do this." Rhyme thought

 

Damien and Joshua clash more and more flying at each other with such incredible speed that their bodies became blurred.

 

As the fight continued Mr. H watched the fight from his portal, shocked by the Virtuoso form due to it being kept secret from the Higher Plane until now, and Joshua's determination. He's never seen Joshua fight with so much passion, so much effort…except for when he's at war.

 

"Heh there you go Boss, I knew you'd make the right decision. You're really not that bad of a guy…I know you're not. You're just well…a very twisted young man. But even so, whenever we go to war you always watch my back…even though we were partnered up by the Maestros still, I feel like we've become friends. Just like how you've become friends with your Proxy…I'm proud of ya Josh." he thought smiling as he saw him block all of Damien's attacks causing them to clash once more.

 

Damien caused thousands of orbs to rain to the ground towards the Composer ready to explode on impact, Joshua then retaliated by pushing the orbs back by sending thousands of his orbs to Damien's.

 

The two stared at each other intensely as the orbs blocked each other

 

 

"weakening Neku in this state is proving harder than I thought…But I know that he'll get to that point. After all, regardless of how powerful he is as a Demon, he hasn't been a Demon for very long, no matter how much energy he has, he needs to get use to it. Neku hasn't been a Demon for even a year in the RG's time, so there's still a lot he doesn't know about what he can do as a Demon. The longer we exist the more abilities we can teach ourselves." Joshua thought as he stared into Damien's red eyes

 

As the fight raged on, Neku began to feel the overwhelming power of his body. It was so intense that it made him cringe and squeeze his hair, screaming in pain.

 

"it…it hurts!" Neku whimpered

 

Hearing the screams of her little puppet, Clarissa then appeared to Neku to try to help him.

 

"Neku what's wrong?!" Clarissa exclaimed

 

"I…I don't know! I was fine…you gave me your energy again, went away…and then I felt like someone was burning me…the pain I feel now!" Neku exclaimed woefully beneath his teeth

 

He then squeezed his hair tighter as he felt the pain increase making him scream again.

 

"AAAAAAAAAAH! CLARISSAAAA! NNNNGH! MAKE THIS STOP PLEASE!" he cried in agony

 

"alright I will!" she exclaimed

 

She placed her right hand on Neku's shoulder, and extended her left had to the door pushing the presence out of his mind.

 

"Okay that ought to do it. The energy is still powerful, no changes have been made except that now Neku won't be able to feel it." she thought

 

His screams then lessoned until they went to a complete halt.

 

"nngh…thanks" he said weakly.

 

"Don't mention it Neku" she said smiling.

 

"I…I feel so weak but…I want the energy again…please. Can you do that for me?" he said almost as mumble from barely being conscious

 

"Neku…you're very weak right now. If I did that to you in this state, it'll hurt you very badly instead of strengthening you. You need rest" she said sternly

 

"yeah." Neku whispered

 

He then sees Clarissa dissolve into the air to watch over him and laid out on his bed closing his eyes to rest

 

"Just wait a bit longer…I need Neku to feel overwhelmed and seek me out, then I'll be able to take away everything from him…just a bit longer." she thought

 

Eventually the two friends both felt themselves feel tired from unleashing so much energy, causing Damien to go back to his Demon Lord form, and Joshua to his human form.

 

The two then focused on physical attacks. Damien attacked swiping his claws at Joshua, while he dodged the attacks.

 

Joshua then rapidly punched in numbers on his cell phone summoning cars, trucks, and vending machines out of thin air. He then threw them all at once at Damien.

 

Seeing this as an opportunity to hurt Joshua, he then times his jump to leap on all of the objects Joshua had thrown at him, with the exception of having to slash through a few of them with his claws and punched Joshua in the face sending him flying.

 

He then recovered by back fliping off of one of the pillars he was flying towards and leaped towards Damien. He then pounced towards Joshua as they flew towards one another shooting energy at each other.

 

When the energy dissolved Joshua saw that Damien had disappeared again.

 

He then summoned strands of gray energy to lead him to Damien, as he summoned the strands, Damien attacked Joshua from behind taking advantage of how fragile Human skin is in comparison to Demon skin, and started slashing Joshua over and over at blinding speeds causing Joshua to scream in pain. He then made four clones surround Joshua and they all blasted demon energy at Joshua making him scream to the point of crying as the demon energy tore through his skin and clothes.

 

Witnessing this Shiki then became overwhelmed with concern.

 

"NO JOSHUAAAAA!" She screamed

 

He then unleashed a massive dome of energy that launched Damien across the room and made the other clones dissolve. But this came at a price, the blast of energy he had just now unleashed took a lot of energy out of him and made him feel weak. In addition to this, his body was covered in scratches from Damien's claws stinging his body and his Composer energy, the energy of his true form began to leak out of his entire body. Being overwhelmed with pain, he then fell to his hands and knees wheezing in pain, making Beat Shiki and Rhyme stare at him in shock.

 

Mr. H instantly transformed into an Angel and went to his true powered state when he witnessed this

 

"this has gone out of hand, I'm not going to just sit back and watch my friend die! I need to protect Joshua." he thought.

 

As he prepared to go to the demon realm by opening a portal, he heard a voice telling him to stay.

 

"it'll be alright Sanae, let us see what he can do. Joshua, unlike Neku's human friends, has many years of battle experience, just like you. I know you've gotten Joshua out of situations like this before in the past, but he is a Composer after all. You know he'll think of something." a male Maestro told him.

 

Mr. H then went back to his human form and let out a frustrated sigh and continued watching.

 

Seeing this as a way of killing two birds with one stone Damien then walked over to his former friends that were frozen, happy with the fear written all over their face.

 

"this is really bad" Joshua thought while clenching his right shoulder

 

"we…we were supposed to save Neku…but he's proven to be out of control. At this rate, I'll have no choice…will I have to do it? Will I have to kill my own Proxy?"

 

He wanted to get up knowing that Beat Shiki and Rhyme were in danger, he wanted to unfreeze them, but Damien's claws had an effect on Joshua's human form, in addition to being overwhelmed with pain, Joshua saw that parts of his body was leaking Composer Engergy. He knew that if he moved even just a little, he could lose too much energy and begin to Fade.

 

Damien then smiled as he lowered his back and extended out his fingers, in a pouncing position. He then teleported behind Shiki, and started slashing her causing her to scream in pain. He then engulfed himself in Demon energy and used it to propel himself in the air to pick up speed, and flew in a zig zag motion hitting all three of them at once.

 

He unleashed a seemingly endless combination of slashes causing them all to scream in pain louder and louder. Damien then unfreezed them by snapping his fingers with his right hand and slashed the three friends with his left hand, sending them all flying and crashing onto the ground, overwhelmed with pain from his claws feeling like knives slashing them.

 

Each one of them felt their bodies tremble as the desperately tried to rise to their feet. Damien then let's out a crooked smile as he summoned a clone to electrocute Rhyme as he electrocuted Shiki and Beat causing them to unleash blood curdling screams.

 

The screams were so loud that they reached Neku, who had finally recovered from the burning he felt from his body's Virtuoso form.

 

"Rrrgh! No…I…I don't want to hear this again! I want the fighting to stop." he whimpered

 

He then heard Beat scream something to him

 

"PLEASE YOU GOTTA STOOOOOOP! AAAAAAAAH! STOP DIS…CAN'T….TAKE….MUCH MOOOOORE!"

 

He then heard Rhyme scream

 

"WE…JUST WANT HIM BAAAAACK! AAAAAAAAAA!NNNNNNGH! STOOOOOOOOOOP!"

 

And then he heard Shiki

 

"PLEASE…PLEASE! AAAAAAAAAAAH! IT…IT HUUUUUUUUUURTS!"

 

The blood curdling screams continued getting louder and louder from Damien slashing them with his claws while his hands were engulfed in lighting, tearing through their clothes covering them with scratches and bruises as they slam onto the ground.

 

Neku felt overwhelmed with anxiety, unsure of what to do.

 

"Make it stop! Make it stop…I…don't want this anymore." he said as his voice broke

 

He then felt himself squeeze his hair as he was filled with frustration

 

"I don't…want this…make it..stop" he whimpered "please…I…I can't take this"

 

"Neku remember what I told you?" he heard Clarissa say as a disembodied voice causing him to open his eyes in shock lowering his hands.

 

She then appeared to him sitting on his bed

 

"huh? What you told me?" Neku said weakly

 

"Mhm, that I can take over whenever you want me to." she said sweetly

 

He then heard the screams again causing him to cringe as he squeezed his bed sheets

 

"y-yeah I remember now…Clarissa…I…I don't know what to do please…help me! I don't want to hear this anymore, their screams…I hate it…it makes me feel like a monster and--

 

She then placed her right hand on his right hand.

 

"Neku…" she said sweetly "don't worry I can make all the voices go away."

 

She then ran her fingers through his hair

 

"I can make it all go away…just give me everything Neku…and you'll never hear the screams ever again."

 

"give you…everything?" he said weakly "yeah…make it stop…please"

 

Clarissa then smiled happy everything was going according to plan

 

She then made her human fingernails become claws and placed all of her fingers together, removing the gap between each finger.

 

"Okay Neku…when I do this it'll hurt cause I have to pour a massive amount of energy inside of you for this to work. But everything will be okay Neku I promise." she said sweetly

 

"It's okay Clarissa…I trust you." he said weakly

 

"Okay here it comes" she replied

 

Neku then let's out a horrible scream as he feels her claws dig into his back.

 

The scream lessoned however as he felt his entire body begin to feel numb, followed by his body burning, like when getting a sun burn.

 

As she poured her energy inside of him heading for his soul code, everything became harder to hear, except for Clarissa's voice.

 

"the screams" he thought "they're getting quieter."

 

He then felt her claws go even deeper into his back. It felt now like a long needle was going inside his back, as if he was being vaccinated, due to Clarissa was focusing her energy on the deepest part of Neku's energy, the core of it.

 

This then caused him to feel his eyes widen from the pain, making his irises tremble.

 

"that's it Neku…you're doing great" Clarissa said sweetly

 

By now the screams were completely gone. Neku then saw flashbacks of his life in the RG, being with his parents and walking down Udagawa.

 

"Huh? What's happening to me? These flashbacks…are they part of me giving her everything?" he thought

 

The flashbacks were so clear it was as if he was really in the RG again.

 

"am I home again?" he thought "Mom…Dad…where are you?"

 

The flashbacks got shorter and shorter as he began to fade away.

 

"No! please…don't leave me." Neku thought

 

He felt his eyes widen more and more as the "needle" went in deeper

 

"It's almost there" Clarissa thought

 

Damien continued beating his friends as Joshua stared at him fuming with frustration. The three friends screamed more and more wishing the pain would stop. They all cried out Damien's real name in an attempt at reaching Neku. But it didn't work, they tried screaming it louder and louder until one of the voices broke through.

 

Neku then saw his vision began to blur.

 

"everything's…harder to see." he thought

 

He held his left hand to his face seeing it was just a blob, even the moonlight began to fade away from his vision.

 

"everything's…going…dark?" he said faintly

 

"what's…happening…to…me?" he said weakly

 

His eye lids felt heavy making it harder for him to keep himself conscious.

 

"that's it Neku…just let me take everything away…it's almost over." Clarissa said sweetly

 

Unknown to him is that he has a gaping hole in his back with his energy, leaking out of him in huge chunks making them orbs the size of bowling balls, Neku was feeling his energy pour out of him. As it did, his arms also began to tear, making his energy leak out.

 

His eyes became more and more heavy as dary gray smoke outlined in purple began smothering him. Clarissa was in her true form, dark gray smoke outlined in purple, getting ready to completely dissolve Neku as her energy dug into his back and tore his soul apart more and more as the smoke began to cover his body.

 

"take…eve..rything…away" he whispered as he began to close his eyes

 

"NEKU! Stop Please!" a voice cried in agony making him gasp

 

At that moment all his energy went back inside him and he instantly regained consciousness.

 

"it's that girl again." Neku exclaimed "she sounded hurt!"

 

"Neku…It's just another evil spirit remember?" she said sweetly hiding her frustration

 

"but…her voice…it reached me…I don't get it." he said weakly

 

By now the three friends were in the same situation as Joshua barely being able to cope with their pain.

 

He saw Damien get closer to his former friends preparing to kill them when Joshua extended out his left hand causing the arm to leak more energy and placed an invisible wall between them and the demon.

 

The exhausted Composer, wheezing in pain then snapped his fingers healing the three friends of their wounds, and then he snapped again healing himself.

 

He then snapped his fingers and became his Composer form once more.

 

"Guys go into your Angel form" he said telepathically "and don't worry the wall I've set up prevents him from hearing your thoughts, and I have one set up too."

 

"but then how can we hear you Joshua?" Rhyme asked

 

"no time to explain just go into your Angel forms." he said urgently to their minds

 

They then did as Joshua had told them too with Damien waiting patiently amused at the idea that they may be planning something

 

"here's the new plan. I'll take him on again while you guys wait here." he told them

 

"What?! We ain't gonna jus' stand here and do nothin!" Beat said mentally

 

"Beat let him finish" Rhyme said mentally

 

Joshua then continued "I'm going to take him on again, but as you all have seen direct attacks only do so much to him. So pay attention to when I use my Composer energy, since I can't make the signal obvious or else he'll be ready, I'll signal you guys to join in as part of my attack. When I attack Neku I'll shoot my energy horizontally--

 

"hori…wha?" Beat said

 

"meaning side to side" Joshua continued "the moment I shoot my energy up and down at him that's the signal."

 

"so all we gotta do is watch for it den? Aight prissy boy." Beat said mentally.

 

Daimen then looked at Joshua smiling

 

"So…are you done discussing whatever useless plan you're coming up with?" he said slyly

 

 

"of course I am…and we'll see whether or not it's useless" Joshua says coyly

 

Joshua then snapped his fingers removing the wall that was in front of them and flew towards Damien. This then caused Damien to leap into the air and shoot his demon energy at Joshua.

 

Joshua retaliated by shooting horizontal beams of energy at him causing Damien to push the energy back by shooting out his energy at the Composer's. When the energy dissolved Joshua then instantly teleported to Damien and punched him in the face followed by unleashing vertical beams of energy as the Demon Lord as he floated right above him.

 

"the signal!" Rhyme thought

 

"Go, go, go!" Shiki cried

 

The three angels then went into their powered up state again and flew to Damien and blinding speeds. Shiki started the combo by punching Damien in the face seven times followed by a round house kick to his stomach. Beat then got him from behind and shot energy at his former friend causing him to go flying towards Shiki who slid to the left revealing Rhyme who unleashed her speed attack on Damien sending him flying back towards Beat.

 

He then moved out of the way to reveal Joshua who shot energy at Damien again, and then telekinetically threw Damien farther back. Shiki then joined in the attack again and punched Damien seven times again with the last punch containing a massive amount of her energy causing Damien to slam against a wall in the throne room.

 

He then fell to his knees and nearly passed out to feel someone catch him, holding him steady with her hands on his shoulders.

 

It was Shiki, who powered down to her Fledgling form along with everyone else, and Joshua powered down to his human form.

 

She then gazed into Neku's crimson eyes seeing them half way open before he finally passed out hanging his head.

 

She then placed her right hand on his right cheek with a little smile on her face

 

She then hanged her head pressing it against his, and closed her eyes.

 

"I'm coming for you, Neku" she said sweetly.

 

And with that remark she then transferred her mind to Neku, making her body unconscious.


	26. A Broken Mind

Finally having a moment's rest, the three friends sit down and relax. Beat and Rhyme look at Shiki in shock unsure of what just happened, and turned to a laid back Joshua.

 

"Prissy boy what jus' happened yo?" he said urgently

 

"yeah the plan was to Imprint on Neku, that didn't knock us out in the UG so… I don't get it." Rhyme added

 

"Well, unlike the UG where you just send certain words or phrases to someone's head as part of the Imprinting, Shiki's taking it a step further, since it's possible to do so in the Higher Plane and in the Afterlife in general. I'm guessing Shiki knows how strong Clarissa really is since she's been around her for so long. Something that you two luckily have never had to deal with. What Shiki just did is sort of like when you and Neku made a pact in the Reapers' Game. You know…combining the Mind and Soul with that partner." Joshua said smugly

 

"Huh? I thought dat we were jus' workin' together 'n stuff. We were fusin' together our…souls? Yo man, jus spit it out, what did Shiki do?" Beat asked frustrated

 

Joshua amused by his frustration let out a little smile.

 

"She fused her mind with his, just like when fording a Pact except that her Soul is still here. In other words she separated her mind from her soul, which is why Shiki is unconscious. I'm guessing when she said that she was coming for Neku, that she then felt that desire to dive into Neku's mind causing her to have that ability." he replied nonchalantly

 

"whoa…so…in other words Shiki removed her mind from her Soul just by focusing her thoughts on doing that?…that's incredible" Rhyme said astonished

 

"So…do you think that she'll be able to find Neku now?" she asked

 

Joshua then placed his hand over his mouth thinking about Rhyme's question

 

"Hmmm, well if Neku even survived becoming a demon then yes…she should be able to find him…with Neku being an imaginative person, making his mind also very powerful, and having such a powerful amount of energy inside of him, there is a chance that bits and pieces of his mind and Soul escaped being consumed. Basically, if Neku survived, then she'll find him." Joshua answered

 

As the three friends discussed Neku's fate, he became afraid knowing that his body's unconscious

 

"Dammit…they…they really did it. What am I suppose to do now?" Neku said aloud hoping Clarissa would answer

 

Being upset with how she was so close to killing Neku and yet was stopped by his energy's connection to Shiki, told him to get some rest and that they would think of something to do to protect him since his Demon form was defeated and had vanished to watch over him again.

 

She then appeared to him

 

"I'm not really sure" she said sadly

 

"those evil little spirits could kill your body now if they wanted to. But I promise Neku, that I will do what ever it takes to keep you safe." she said placing her hand on his

 

"yeah…thanks" he said weakly

 

Shiki opened her eyes and woke up in the Scramble Crossing.

 

"huh? …am I back in the Game?" she thought feeling disoriented and tired

 

As she picked herself off the ground and regained awareness, she remembered why she was here

 

"Neku!" she thought

 

"So…what exactly is this place?" she wondered aloud

 

Shiki noticed this Shibuya was different from the Realground version. It was cloudy as if it was about to rain, and noticed everyone walking around her had a plain white mask on. Although she hadn't realized it, she was in Neku's perspective of Shibuya, back when his mind and Soul was unstable. Back when he was hurt from the world and felt like everyone was a stranger with the potential of hurting him.

 

Her attention was then drawn to Q Floor, a building known for displaying many advertisements on its screen. She saw it was advertising a new D plus B shirt. She saw all the masked people huddle up towards the building eager to see the commercial. It said that their shirt was the latest thing, that no one can top D plus B's prices, to buy the shirt now and anything to do with D plus B.

 

"D plus B" she heard the crowd chant

 

She then started to feel nervous seeing how they all walked in unison like robots all programmed to go to that store.

 

"D plus B is great, D plus B is rad, everyone should get their things" she heard someone say

 

"D plus B!" the all chanted

 

She then saw the crowd that gathered around the building had moved to the D plus B store and were pushing and shoving each other desperate to get the new shirt.

 

She then couldn't help but feel her eyes water

 

 

"Neku…is this how viewed trends back then? Like he was being brainwashed?! Eri and I...we never wanted to do that with our ideas for making clothes. We just want to make clothes that make people happy, not brain wash them and control them!" she thought filled with heartache

 

She then remembered how Neku looked at her when she was talking about trends to him in 104 in the Game, and how she said Neku should change his clothes, back when she was being Eri.

 

They were like daggers stabbing her with each word she said to him. He was defensive crossing his arms glaring at her as she talked to him about it, and the silence between them, how Neku hid his face in his funnel collar like he was attempting to hide his anger…or possibly calm down by not looking at the annoying girl.

 

_"I don't need help with being cool, I wear what I want to wear" she remembered him saying_

 

"Neku…where are you?" she thought

 

She began wandering the city not sure what to look for that would lead her to Neku. She walked past more masked people and saw something that startled her…herself, Beat, Rhyme and Eri all inside Neku's broken world. Unknown to Shiki at the time, is that his view of Shibuya is the city as a whole, meaning that the masked people are everyone in the city, even people he's never met…or doesn't remember, a sort of generalization of the city and its citizens.

 

Overwhelmed with curiosity, Shiki went to her masked self and gently pulled the mask from her doppelganger's face, causing her to scream with terror.

 

"D plus B….D plus B, D PLUS B! D PLUS B!" the doppelganger cried

 

Her face had cuts all over it, her eyes were pitch black, and had shark like teeth with a grin that stretched almost ear to ear making her resemble a demon.

 

"N-NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Shiki screamed as her monster alter ego crept closer

 

Shiki then placed the mask back on top of her monster alter ego, causing it to ignore her again.

 

Shiki then let's out a sigh of relief, and was filled with heartache as she came to the realization of what this meant being in Neku's head.

 

"No…" she whimpered squeezing Mr. Mew

 

"beneath the mask everyone wears, beneath the way people act in public…we're all monsters to him…we're just people that would use him…and make fun of him…or abandon him. Is this really the way you saw me back then Neku? As a monster?" she said weakly almost as if she was expecting him to answer.

 

She then felt a lone tear go down her right cheek

 

"it's no wonder he thought so low of people back then, to the point he said that he was just with me to survive…and not my friend. If I felt that I had to be so defensive like the way he was…that if I wasn't that people would hurt me…I'd think like this too. I'd think that people are unreliable…just like him…but…he was all on his own! In the Game he couldn't even remember his parents…just his name, he didn't have anything to back to, because he couldn't remember it." she thought.

 

She then wiped her tear away.

 

"Don't worry Neku, I'll make this sadness go away but…you have to let me…please." she said weakly

 

She then felt determined to roam Shibuya until she found him walking at a brisk pace.

 

"alright, I've known Neku for three months and a half now since the Game...and he was the first person I really exposed my sadness to. He understands me, and I understand him. Think! If I wanted to escape from the world and be where I can feel happy…where would I go?" she thought as she kept moving.

 

Her face then lit up with her realization

 

"THERE!" she thought "Neku's gotta be there, he has to be at Udagawa!"

 

She then ran as fast as she could zooming around the masked people determined to find Neku there. She turned to all the right streets she needed to go there knowing that she was getting close.

 

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing him again.

 

She ran faster and faster seeing that she was heading for the tag mural hoping to see her fiery haired friend at last…but he wasn't there.

 

"Where?!" She muttered with her fists trembling with rage, with Mr. Mew on her shoulder.

 

"WHERE ARE YOU HIDING HIM?! GIVE HIM BAAAAAAAAAAACK!" Shiki screamed at the top of her lungs.

 

She then hanged her head as she fought tears building up with her toy still on her shoulders.

 

"Where are you hiding him Clarissa?" she said weakly

 

As she fought the urge to cry she then raised her head with shock.

 

"What am I doing?!" she thought "Now's not the time to be sad, I have to find him! I have to help Neku…and that's not gonna happen with me sitting here!"

 

She then took a deep breath and released it slowly

 

"Enjoy every moment with all you've got." she said aloud smiling and trying to reassure herself that she'll find him.

 

She then walked at a slow pace trying to analyze her thoughts

 

"Okay…so if Neku's not in Udagawa where else would he go?" Shiki thought

 

Her face then lit with excitement as she thought of her answer

 

"alright, Neku…he has to be there, he just has to."

 

She then started running to Neku's house, passing all the streets she needs to take in order to get there. She then finally arrives at the building and phases through the front door and ran upstairs.

 

"He has to be there!" she thought "Keep going"

 

She took a left at the hallway the stairs had lead her to and finally found it, the door to Neku's room.

 

She then raised her hand to knock on the door but then stopped

 

"I'm not visiting his house…I'm here to break him out" she thought strongly

 

She then grabbed the door knob and twisted it, seeing that it was locked

 

"huh? But…if it's locked then how am I suppose to get in?" she wondered.

 

On the other side of the door Neku was there with his arms crossed glaring at the door.

 

"Just try to get inside, I freaking dare you!" he thought angrily

 

"I'm not gonna let you hurt me" he said in a dark voice just barley beyond a whisper

 

"Neku…are you there?" he heard Shiki say

 

"Rrrrgh! Stupid stalker why can't she leave me alone…wait a minute…she's that girl…the one who I heard calling me when I was giving my mind to Clarissa. How come she's here?" he thought

 

"she's trying to finish the job Neku" he heard Clarissa say as she appeared to him.

 

"finish the job? You mean like…kill me?!" Neku said alarmed

 

"yes, I can sense she must be a very powerful little Soul if she could send herself to your mind like this, just don't let her in Neku." she said darkly

 

She then vanished to watch over Neku again.

 

Seeing how she wasn't making progress Shiki thought that she should try Imprinting on him.

 

"Please…Please Neku…just let me in." she said strongly

 

But she didn't get any response

 

"Just ignore her" Neku thought "She's just a monster…like all the other people I've met."

 

Shiki then hanged her head feeling sad from how she's really back at square one with him, that he hates her again.

 

She then raised it and tried Imprinting on him again.

 

" **Why are you pushing me away like this?** " she said hurt

 

"Cause I don't get people…never have, never will." he replied causing her to gasp

 

"Wait he…he responded to the Imprint?! Did it really work?" she thought "…I have to try again."

 

"So just shut up and go the hell away" Neku thought while closing his eyes, placing his hands on his headphones, and covered his mouth with his funnel collar.

 

She then tried another Imprint, to see if she could help remind him of the Reapers' Game.

 

"I have to take my time with this, I can't force too much information on him." she thought

 

" **Let me in, tell me what you're thinking! I just want to understand you!** " she cried

 

At that moment Neku opened his eyes and gasped at the familiarity of that sentence causing him to respond to it

 

"I want to I understand me, too." he said weakly while hiding his face until his bangs showed, with his hands in his pockets.

 

Shiki then gasped seeing that the Imprint not only worked, but has caused him to repeat conversations they've had, causing the door to unlock from the outside.

 

Shiki then opened it and finally found her friend.

 

"Go on" Clarissa thought "Just try to get him back…Neku's all mine…your Imprinting will only go so far. Neku will push you away…like everyone else."

 

Clarissa still couldn't help but feel concern over the fact that the imprinting worked, but still she was confident that in the end Neku would push Shiki away.

 

When she walked inside the room the door slammed shut behind her, knowing now that Clarissa has her trapped in his mind too. But she doesn't want to kill her…she wants to see Shiki weep over Neku ignoring her, wanting her to leave. She was merely sitting back watching the show unfold.

 

"it's so dark here… I can barely see….Neku?…is that really you?" she asked seeing the moonlight shine on his pale skin, illuminating it.

 

Neku then looked away from her.

 

"y-yeah…" he said weakly

 

"why? Why is it that…I…I don't feel like I'm in danger around her? She's supposed to be one of the spirits that wants to kill me…and…that sentence...it sounded familiar for some reason…did I talk to her at some point? Rrrrgh! I don't know! Dammit I don't know anything!" he thought squeezing his bed sheets.

 

"You okay?" she asked seeing him squeeze the bed sheets.

 

"Ignore her…I don't want to open up to people…ever." he thought

 

There was nothing but distance between them, Shiki noticing how he didn't respond felt concerned

 

"was the imprint not strong enough? Do I need to go further and reintroduce myself, and all his friends to him?" she thought.

 

She then tried to get his attention

 

"Neku?" she said concerned

 

Realizing he has nowhere to go to avoid the mysterious girl, he then felt like he had no choice but to answer her.

 

"what?" he snarled

 

"Can I sit down…with you?" she said weakly

 

A reluctant Neku then turned his face away from her and scooted down patting the spot he opened her for, allowing her to sit down.

 

Neku then decided to use music to escape. He then placed his hands on his headphones, closed his eyes, and hid his mouth from her, he still knew that he couldn't trust her.

 

"I've got my values…so you can keep yours alright?" he said darkly

 

He then lowered his left hand and held his MP3 with his hand over the play button.

 

Seeing this hurt Shiki causing her to turn her face away from him with tears streaming down her face.

 

Neku finally pressed the play button and began to listen to Three Minutes Clapping.

 

He began to tap his foot desperate to let the music take him away…but was distracted by a certain noise causing him to pause the song, and open his eyes.

 

"huh? Stalker girl's crying…over what? Me not talking to her…grow up, you're not a little kid." he thought sternly

 

Neku then noticed Shiki's toy

 

"Hm? She even has some little-stuffed piggy with her…what the hell's wrong with this kid? What is she…five?" he thought annoyed

 

She then looked at him to see Neku with intense eyes, like he's analyzing her, the same look he'd give when concentrating on an image before drawing it based off of sight, a free handed drawing.

 

"huh? Is Neku observing me?" she wondered.

 

She then became desperate to break the silence between them

 

"H-hey don't just stare at me…don't you know that's rude?" she exclaimed

 

Neku's eyes then hardened angry at how he felt like she was telling him what to do.

 

"I don't give a rat's ass if you think I'm rude! I don't even know who the hell you are!" he snapped

 

She then felt her eyes water

 

"I…I just want to know you…but…I can't if you push me away." she said weakly

 

The two teens then stared at each other unsure of what to say next.

 

To be continued...


	27. Fixing the Pieces

 

As the two teens looked at each other Neku felt uneasy…he wished he knew why she somehow knew his name, and that one sentence keeps bothering him.

 

"Let me in, tell me what you're thinking…I just want to understand you…why…WHY THE HELL DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR?!" he screamed in his head

 

Neku then became frustrated and turned away from her squeezing his bed sheets again, trying to fight back the tears in his eyes.

 

"this girl…she…she's not trying to kill me like I thought she was going to but…no…what if that's what she wants? Lure me into a false sense of security and then kill me…but…still…and…what she said just now, if she was really trying to hurt me…wouldn't she have made her goal less obvious? Her plan of just wanting to know me…but…Rrrrgh! DAMMIT! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, WHY?! WHY IS IT THAT I FEEL SO CONFUSED NOW THAT SHE'S HERE!?"

 

Shiki seeing his arms tremble from squeezing the bed sheets so tightly and became concerned

 

"Neku? you okay?" she asked sadly

 

"Dammit this girl…she…even what she said just now sounds familiar! Even her voice sounds familiar! What the hell's going on here!? She didn't sound familiar before…but…I…I need answers. I don't know anything anymore…I was fine when I was with Clarissa but…now I feel like there's something missing. I may not know her, and certainly, don't trust her…but for now…I need to know what's going on. And…just why the hell is that sentence familiar?" he thought frustrated

 

Neku then takes a deep breath an sighed

 

"I…I'm fine." he said weakly

 

He then turned towards her after he felt calm enough.

 

They then sat in silence with Neku burring his face in his funnel collar.

 

"I…I don't get people…why? Why the hell does she want to talk to me. I don't want her near me! I WANT her to go away…but…I also need to know what's going on. Should I do it? After all, what if what she says is a lie, to mess with my head?" he thought wondering if he should talk to her, regardless of how he doesn't really have a choice.

 

Shiki allowed him his time to think, remembering how he'd randomly get quiet the first few days they were partners.

 

Neku sat there in silence analyzing whether or not he should really talk to her.

 

"she could just as easily hurt me…like everyone else. They all start out the same. They pretend to be my friend and act like they care about me. They say things like: I would never hurt you Neku….and yet they do. I…I can't trust her. I don't want to know her…but…

 

In order to obtain the answers he needs Neku realizes that he has to talk to her and finally prepared himself to talk to Shiki, knowing that at any instant he could get hurt again.

 

"Who are you?" Neku asked as much as he would rather be alone, away from everyone

 

Shiki then let's out a little smile happy to see that he's at least trying to talk to her, that he felt kind of shy around her. Like the first time they really started talking to each other in the Game.

 

"I'm Shiki. Shiki Misaki." she replied

 

Hearing that name then caused Neku to gasp

 

"wait a minute Stalker…your name…it sounds familiar for some reason." he said weakly

 

"heh, I'm not Stalker, I'm Shiki, and this is Mr. Mew the Cat" she said holding out her toy to him

 

"Mr. Mew?" Neku thought "seriously is this girl even aware of how old she is? And what's up with its name? it looks more like a piggy to me."

 

Neku then awkwardly scratched his head.

 

"your toy looks more like a piggy than a cat" he remarked

 

Although Shiki hadn't realized it, she was about to activate another Imprint on Neku.

 

" **Ugh! he's not a piggy! He's a cat! Mr. Mew the Cat!** " she exclaimed

 

Neku then looked at her in shock at the familiarity of that sentence.

 

This then caused him to hang his head

 

"huh? Did I get him upset?" she wondered

 

"why?…why does that sound so familiar? What you just said: he's not a piggy, he's a cat, Mr. Mew the cat? It…it feels like we've had this conversation before." he said weakly

 

"What!?" Clarissa thought in shock "she's actually trying to restore his memories…no matter…my grip on Neku's mind is very strong. She'll have to do a lot of imprinting just to see IF they even get through to him, and Imprinting at the level she is right now, takes a lot of energy. Sooner or later this will all backfire."

 

"Stalker…I…I don't know what's going on. I don't know anything…anymore." he said just barely beyond a whisper, trying to hide that he's frustrated to the point his eyes are watering.

 

"Neku…" she said sadly seeing how he's hiding his face from her.

 

"The things we've talked about, the things you say to me, your voice, they all feel familiar…but…

 

Neku then became so angry that he squeezed his hair

 

"I DON'T GET IT!" he cried "WHY…WHY DO I FEEL SO UNSURE OF MYSELF!? I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ANYMORE!"

 

"Neku…it's okay" she said sweetly soothing him with the softness in her voice

 

"it is? What do you think this means?" he said weakly

 

"I think it just means…you don't remember certain things. The events happened, but they're gone from your memory." she replied

 

"my memory?" he repeated

 

"do I…have amnesia?" he asked

 

Shiki then hanged her head

 

"In a way…yeah you do." she said sadly

 

She then raised her head smiling a little

 

That's why I know your name, but you didn't know mine" she replied

 

Neku hated having to spend time with people, he hated having to be with this stranger, and yet the imprints were helping him deal with Shiki.

 

" **I…I knew you at one point Neku, and you really helped me. You and I were involved in something called The Reapers' Game**." she added

 

"The Reapers' Game? Sounds weird" he replied crossing his arms

 

"yeah it really is" she chuckled

 

 

She then told him how she found him being attacked by Frog Noise and helped him defeat them.

 

"w-what!? Okay…there's no way any of this is true but…Demons are able to make Noise. Does that mean other forms of energy can too?" he thought

 

She then began to describe the Game with so much imagery and detail that Neku could picture what she was saying. She even described what happened for each day, and eventually described Rhyme's death to him, and how he didn't show any feelings towards it.

 

she also described to him how she wanted to be there for him that she as his friend, and…how he said that she wasn't friends with her and was only with her to survive. That friends were idiots that pretend to like him, making him expose himself and getting himself hurt. That he was better off without Beat and Rhyme.

 

"Rhyme…" Neku thought sadly "That girl…she died just like Taki. As for why I didn't show anything…it's because I  wouldn't really feel that sad over someone I hardly knew. Even if I felt a little sad, plus you would've made fun of me. People target each other the moment they show weakness, the moment they expose themselves."

 

Neku then felt angry remembering how he's been backstabbed by people. Something he knows that hurts people, changing them, and how he hates friends.

 

"I'm only talking to you for answers…Neku thought "you're not my friend. I was right to tell her that."

 

She was about to describe her break down during the first week, how she stopped talking completely and showed little to no interest in the Game before she couldn't take it anymore and told Neku how she really felt about herself.

 

But as she was about to tell him, Clarissa appeared

 

"Neku…don't tell me you believe such nonsense? The Reapers' Game? Getting missions sent to your cell phone that you had to complete or else you were erased? It's all too farfetched to be true, you know she's messing with you." Clarissa said slyly.

 

 

"But…the way she described it! It had so much clarity, so much detail and imagery backing it up! I could actually picture what she was saying!" Neku said strongly

 

"it…it can't be a lie…it can't" he said weakly

 

"Believe what you want Neku, but you know as well as I do that she can hurt you. Just be careful." she said sternly and then vanished to watch over Neku

 

"it's not a lie" Neku thought to himself

 

"It's not one …right?" he asked Shiki

 

"I'm not gonna force you to believe it Neku…it's your choice but…you still want answers right?" she said weakly

 

"yeah…so…you were talking about how we finished one of our missions and some huge Reaper came in…and…he said I was dead…and he said you had exactly what you wanted but it wasn't enough…and…that no one loves you." he said clasping his right shoulder

 

"I don't care who this kid is…she… she's not my friend. I mean it sucks that we died but still. I don't need friends…people just drag me down and hold me back. They start meaningless arguments with me that get me nowhere! Like the arguments I've had with my so-called friends."

 

Shiki then tells him about the next day how the mission was to get a pin that looked similar to the Player pin to become the newest trend in the Scramble Crossing district of Shibuya and how nervous Neku seemed from her not talking.

 

"But how come you weren't talking? I had amnesia and couldn't remember anything about the city, and you knew more about Shibuya than me and yet…you still were really quiet…why?" he asked

 

Shiki then felt a lump in her throat from remembering what happened next.

 

"because…I was still thinking about…what that Reaper told me" she said sadly

 

"he was right, eventually while running around Shibuya you saw someone from the RG who looked just like me during the Game."

 

"Huh? You mean you didn't look like this?" he asked curiously

 

She then felt her eyes begin to water and the lump in her throat feel heavier.

 

Shiki then swallowed trying to make the lump go away, but it didn't work.

 

 

"N-no I didn't. I…I ran away as fast as I could the moment you saw her, my friend Eri. You caught up to me and said I was acting weird and wanted to know what was wrong me…but…" she said sadly

 

She then described what Eri looked like to Neku. Although she wasn't aware of it, due to her strong link with Eri too, and how powerful this memory was for her, right before Neku's eyes, Shiki transformed into Eri for 10 seconds making Neku gasp

 

 

"Wha-what the hell's going on?! You actually look like her! The pink hair, yellow hoodie, the brown cap, all of it! You've turned into your friend!" Neku yelled

 

 

Shiki gaps and then looks down, to see pink hair overlapping her eyes and Eri's clothes on her. She then looked back up at Neku and continued

 

 

"Don't you see? I looked like this in the Reapers' Game because I--"

 

 

 

 

She then felt tears fall down her face and screamed what happened to Neku.

 

"I HATED MYSELF NEKU! **my entry fee was…my body!** " she screamed

 

at that moment Shiki then went from her UG look, to RG Shiki again

 

 

"No one liked me. **I wanted to be my friend Eri so bad!** She has tons of friends and everyone thinks she's so cool and pretty! **But…I…I became jealous of her…and…started wanting to LOOK LIKE HER and start BEING her! Don't you get it!? WHAT I VALUE MOST IS ME!** **I tried to act brave in the Game telling you that we'd beat it no matter what, but the truth is Neku…is that I was SCARED! Scared of getting a second chance."**

She then sobbed squeezing Mr. Mew

 

"all this time…she was just as lost as me" Neku thought

 

Shiki then manages to calm down and slow down her breathing

 

" **I-I didn't want to be alive!** **Not if it meant feeling like this!** Then **at one point before I entered the Game, Eri…she said…something that hurt so much!** I want to be a fashion designer and make clothes but, **she said that I wasn't meant to be a designer.** I honestly thought back then that…she just got tired of me and…

 

"Oh would you cut the crap?" Neku said sharply causing Shiki to look at him in shock.

 

"Just who exactly are you? You're YOU! You're not your friend Eri and you never will be. You need to live out your own life, if she can do it then so can you. And you should be glad that you were jealous, jealousy gives you something to shoot for….so shoot." he said strongly

 

 

"That's…that's the exact same thing you told me in the Game." she said sweetly

 

She then began sniffling a little as she tried to steady her breathing

 

"Huh? Are you okay Shiki?" Neku asked concerned

 

" **Neku! That's the first time you said my name!** " she said happily

 

"really? I haven't noticed" Neku said scratching his head.

 

Shiki was amazed at how deep the Imprinting was going, that it was effecting him and her too. Her memories of the Reapers' Game are so strong that she couldn't help but feel the same emotions she did back then when talking to Neku about the Game.

 

She then told him everything that happened during the second week of the game as well as what Joshua, his partner for that week, looked like and what he acted like.

 

As the happened Neku's dark room began to get a little brighter, the sky wasn't pitch black anymore with the moon out, it turned into a dark blue like it had turned midnight and the sun was just starting to light up the sky.

 

Clarissa being concerned by how Shiki's Imprinting is actually helping Neku restore his memories appeared to them again.

 

"You're seriously not buying this act right? Neku you're smarter than this!" Clarissa said smiling.

 

"well thanks but I know Shiki wouldn't lie to me…Shiki…she's…she's my friend." he said clasping his shoulder.

 

Shiki hearing the old Neku actually say this out loud filled her with happiness, at last he was now more like the way he was at the end of the first week, that he saw Shiki as his first real friend.

 

"Neku…don't you see what she's doing? You were defensive pushing her away, you know what she's here for. But now she's messed with your head to the point you think she's your friend. She's brainwashing you Neku!" Clarissa exclaimed darkly

 

"What!? I wouldn't do that to him! Neku's my friend!" Shiki exclaimed

 

"Hmph really? Then why are you here messing with him with your lies?" Clarissa asked slyly

 

hearing such an awful thing made Neku's eyes harden and stare at Shiki crossing his arms having a moment of doubt

 

 

"You" Neku snarled "Were you really playing me the whole time?"

 

 

Shiki then looked at Neku shocked but then yelled at him

 

 

"NO! I wouldn't lie to you!" she screamed

 

 

Shiki then turned towards Clarissa and clenched her teeth

 

"They're not lies! The Reapers' Game is real! I wouldn't make something up to hurt him! Ever!" she roared back

 

Seeing Shiki become so defensive over him, at the mere thought of her hurting him, it then finally hits Neku, making his eyes soften and lets his arms go back to his sides

 

"Clarissa it's okay…Shiki isn't lying to me…I know she isn't. I can picture everything she's saying when she describes the Game to me. …that's why her voice was familiar…it's because I knew her in the Game." he said weakly

 

"Neku look at me!" Clarissa cried "Please I'm begging you, don't believe it! This is an illusion that she's making to take you away from me! To take you outside the door so I can't protect you! Please Neku, I can only do so much to protect you."

 

She then kneeled down to him as he was sitting on his bed to be face to face with him, and began stroking his hair.

 

 

"Please Neku…I just want to protect you. Just please be careful, if necessary I'll get involved okay?" she said sweetly

 

"O-okay…" Neku said weakly

 

Clarissa then vanished to watch over him

 

"Neku, are you okay?" Shiki asked noticing how he looked scared being wide-eyed

 

"yeah…I…I guess I just wasn't expecting her…to…get so close" he replied weakly hanging his head

 

Shiki then scooted closer to him and held his hand

 

"it's okay Neku…I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I know you've probably heard that before…but…please… _please_ believe me." she said sadly

 

Neku then raised his head smiling at her.

 

"I know you won't hurt me" he said sweetly

 

"huh? W-What do you mean?" Shiki asked in shock

 

"You…you've proven that to me…if you really were as evil as I thought you were gonna be, you could've killed me at anytime but you didn't. and…when I look at you…it feels like…you're almost curious about me…like you really want to know me." he said shyly

 

Shiki then smiled back at him.

 

"Well I do want to know you…so I'm glad you feel that way." she said sweetly

 

Shiki then continued to tell Neku what happened during the second week based off of what he had told her back when they were in the RG.

 

Once again, thanks to Neku slowly restoring his memories, he was able to picture everything Shiki had told him.

 

"So, Shades took you as my entry fee for the second week?" Neku asked sadly

 

"yeah…back when you remembered who you were, I remember you telling me how you felt frustrated because of it…you felt like if you messed up then…you'd never see me again" Shiki replied hanging her head

 

"and **after you agreed to play the Game again** " she continued "you **woke up in the Scramble Crossing and tried to find the toughest Player in the Game to help making you win more likely…but instead, you met Joshua"**

 

 

After describing what Joshua looked like, Shiki and Neku were startled to see Joshua appear to them, making them look to their left

 

"Is that really him?" Neku asked

 

"It...it really is Neku!" Shiki said startled

 

the image of Joshua smiled and then vanished after a few seconds and then Shiki continued piecing his memories back together

 

 

"You and **Joshua** didn't really get along. In fact, back when we used to hang out together, you told me that he **used to freak you out** and that **you used to feel nervous around him.** But…in the end, **even though you guys argued,** **he was there fighting alongside you**. Another thing that you said is that, you used to have **visions of your death in Joshua's head since that was the only memory that was missing.** You know, back when it was restored after **beating the Game** with me." She said smiling

 

At that moment Neku then actually saw the vision in his head.

 

"Neku?" Shiki said curiously noticing how his eyes widened like something scared him.

 

"I…I see it. …I'm dead, laying on the floor at Udagawa by the CAT tag mural …but…why?" he said urgently

 

"well that's because, as **you went through the second week,** you started to realize that **your Partner Joshua was** … **connected to your death.** " she said weakly

 

He then saw the second vision play in his head

 

"I see it Shiki!…I'm at the tag mural…and so is Joshua…WAIT! WHY'S HE RUNNING UP TO ME WITH A PISTOL IN HIS HAND?! NO! HE…HE'S GETTING CLOSER AND…

 

"everything's turning red...Joshua's eyes, he looks so intense...so hostile." he said weakly

 

Neku then hanged his head hiding his face in his funnel collar until only his bright orange bangs showed

 

"He…he was my partner…and…he killed me. Trust your partner…but…how can I do that…when I'm paired up with the person who murdered me?!" Neku screamed

 

"I don't know how anyone could Neku…but it was either that…or make your energies so out of sync that you'd probably be easier for the Noise to kill. Remember? That's what Mr. H told me and you." Shiki said sweetly

 

"Yeah…that if we synced up our energy and pass it back and forth, that it would make us stronger…the Light Puck right?" he replied

 

"heh heh that's exactly it Neku. So… **even though you were tempted to ask whether or not he killed you** … **you didn't do it…at least not at first**." she continued

 

"huh? What made me stop from just asking him right away? How come I waited?" Neku asked curiously

 

Shiki then couldn't help but blush at the answer

 

"Me…Back when we hanged out… **you said to me that you wanted to win the Game no matter what** … **even if it meant putting up with him. So you could see me at Hachiko**." she replied

 

"I…I was able to put up with some psychotic kid, to be with you?" Neku asked in shock

 

"Yeah…you shocked me too when you told me this." she said bashfully

 

Shiki then continued to tell Neku about how he was able to expand his world in the second week.

 

To be continued…


	28. Coming Back

Neku sat and listened to Shiki describe the second week to him, how he was able to learn how to talk to people, and learn that not everyone is bad. She tells him about how he met Sota and Nao.

 

"Sota…he's the one who beat the mission to get the gold pin…the Hero pin right?" Neku asked

 

" **yeah…can you remember how you felt because of that?** " Shiki asked while pointing towards her face

 

Neku then had a flashback to that day in the second week, he remembered how he lost against Shooter and how he was overwhelmed with grief and how Shooter told him that Neku would have better luck next time.

 

"I…I see something happening before that…I think it'll lead to Sota." Neku replied

 

_He then sees himself squeezing his hair out of frustration_

_"NO! Now there won't be a next time! Shiki…I'm so sorry."_

"Whoa…I think this is a bit more than a flashback…I somehow heard what I was thinking…I…I felt miserable. I felt that I would never see you again…that I failed." Neku said weakly

 

_He then sees the next round where Sota beats Shooter and sees Joshua telling him that he messed with the Tin Pin Slammer tournament and rigged Shooter's gear so he couldn't launch his pin out to the table that it's played on properly. He saw himself scream at Joshua that if Shooter's toy hadn't broken when it did that it would've been the end of them._

 

 

"Rrrrgh! Joshua, that little snot! He…he thinks it's funny. He's not even concerned about how we lost! HOW WE WOULD'VE FACED ERASURE RIGHT THEN AND THERE!" Neku exclaimed

 

"He said to just let the other players focus on the mission…and I told him that that's not gonna happen. That we do the missions first and then what he wants." he added crossing his arms

 

Shiki then smiled, she was glad that Neku was remembering everything.

 

"Heh heh, that's exactly right Neku, and then **you and Joshua walked around Shibuya to find Sota and his partner Nao. You explained that you were in the Game again and that I was your entry fee.** " Shiki explained

 

" **And Sota and Nao tried to cheer you up** " she added

 

"Cheer me up?" Neku repeated

 

"yeah" Shiki continued "you were really broken up about it, you almost seemed like you felt guilty, that it was your fault or something."

 

Neku then hanged his head understanding what that feels like.

 

" **Sota said that I would understand the situation and not hold it against you** , that **I wouldn't have minded being your entry fee.** **Nao added that, that meant that I mean a lot to you…heh heh…it's kind of awkward for me to have to say that.** " Shiki said blushing.

 

" **Sota then said that he wanted you to win the Game and go back to your first partner** …and **Nao** added that she **wished you and** **Joshua** **good luck** and **she gave you the Hero pin!** " she exclaimed

 

Neku then raised his head and looked at her with disbelief.

 

"Total strangers…Players I didn't even know…and yet they were there for me. They wanted me to win the Game, and Nao and Sota helped me complete the mission of getting a gold pin. I…I didn't even know them, and they didn't know me…and yet…they helped me." Neku thought

 

She then continued to tell Neku about the other days in the second week, mainly how his conversations with Joshua were helping them become friends…at least to Neku.

 

Shiki told him about a conversation he had with Joshua, how they both shared the same views of the world. As she did this, Neku was able to picture the conversation in his head, and even remembered what Joshua told him.

 

_"Understanding people isn't hard Neku, it's impossible"_

"Yeah I remember that now…he said that I could never understand people…but…I've been able to read people's minds for hints on what to do with missions sometimes, or…just to take a peek at what someone's thinking. I…I learned that everyone has a story to tell. Everyone has their own problems…and…I was able to know what those people were thinking about…what were their deepest thoughts." Neku remarked

 

He then had a flashback to what Mr. H told him about his world

 

_"Listen up Phones, the world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You need to push out your horizons as far as they'll go."_

"I understand now…to Enjoy every moment with all you've got, I needed to expand my world…and that's what was happening during the second week." Neku exclaimed

 

Shiki then smiled at him

 

"Yeah that's exactly right Neku!" she exclaimed happily

 

She then explained how in the second week completely tore the Reapers' Game apart.

 

"You remember when I told you about the second Game Master and how he's obsessed with math?" she asked

 

"Yeah, that weird guy Pi-Face…well…that's what I called him. What did he do to the Game?" he said curiously

 

" **He made all the Reapers on standby no one could attack the Players** , and there were **no more missions. He would stalk you and Joshua a lot,**   **just talk to you guys.** and **every time you were around him, you'd feel an intense pain in your head** , and you eventually found out that **he made the black Noise you two would fight, the Taboo Noise**." she added

 

Shiki then describes what Sho looked like based off of how Neku described him to her when they were in the RG since the only time she saw him he was crushed by Joshua summoning a car and soda machine on him. She also mentions how Sho was surprised to see Neku in the UG.

 

"Yeah…it was almost as if…he knew me…like maybe he was involved in my death or something." Neku said darkly

 

He then remembers the third vision he had that showed Sho getting ready to shoot him, making Neku gasp.

 

"Wait…I see another vision Shiki, I see myself with my back facing…towards me…and there's Joshua with his gun with smoke coming out of it…and I'm sitting on the ground…and…I see myself with the Pi-Facer standing behind me. He's got a gun too! Wait now he's pointing at me and…

 

The vision became so real to him that Neku then heard a gunshot.

 

"and now….I see myself falling to the ground. It wasn't him….it wasn't Joshua! That guy, Pi-Face! He was my killer?! Rrrrgh! Dammit it still doesn't make sense! I don't get it!" Neku exclaimed while squeezing his hair

 

"Don't worry you will understand it Neku. That's why I'm telling you everything in order that they happened. **As the days went on you both ran into Beat** , and **since he had joined the Reapers, he had a mission.** Back when we used to hang out in the RG, you told me what you thought it must've been." Shiki said to him

 

He then let's go of his hair and looked up at Shiki.

 

"well…what did I tell you?" he asked

 

"you thought it was…to kill you and Joshua." she said darkly

 

"W-WHAT?! From the way I imagined him…Beat's really tough, he's super muscular and on top of that a Reaper! How the hell did I manage fighting him?!" Neku cried anxious

 

 

at that moment Beat then appeared to Neku and Shiki, making them look in shock again as then Rhyme appeared next to Beat, smiling for a few seconds and then disappeared making Shiki continue

 

"Ironically **it was because** … **he didn't want to hurt you.** **He beat you up pretty badly the first time you fought him though. But as you fought each other again, you got better at putting up a fight against him and yet, Beat would always walk away and act tough like he was letting you live, not because he couldn't kill you**. **At one point during one of the fights Beat dropped Rhyme's pendant.** **You found it** and **the next time you fought Beat, you gave it back** to him…making him back down." she replied

 

"Beat…I don't even know you and yet…you spared my life? Why? He could've killed me…but he chose not to, and it's not like I trusted him the first time I saw him…I probably pissed him off too, since I'd try to not talk to him whenever Shiki would spot him and his sister." he thought

 

Shiki then continued telling him how the Taboo Noise were on a rampage attacking and killing Players and Reapers.

 

"as this happened **you saw Sota and Nao being attacked by the Noise, and then Joshua asked you what you wanted to do**." Shiki said smiling a little

 

Neku then remembered what he was thinking in that situation

 

_"Rrrgh! No! I…I can't just leave them!"_

 

"I remember that now! I helped protect them but…Nao, she was erased! all that was left was Sota! I…I couldn't protect him either. THEY DIED SHIKI! THEY DIED BECAUSE I WASN'T QUICK ENOUGH! Just like that Reaper that I saw get killed by a Taboo Noise. I left him to die…If I had just killed those Noise faster I could've helped him too…yeah they're the enemy but…still…I don't know why I'm feeling so…guilty." Neku said sadly

 

"The Imprints" Shiki thought "They're really helping him remember who he is…he even remembers how hurt he was when he saw Sota and Nao die…just hang in there a bit longer Neku. You're almost there."

 

"Can you think of why you felt this way?" Shiki asked smiling with her left arm bent, and both hands open

 

Neku then hanged his head

 

"I think it's because…I…I knew them, not deeply but still. They're strangers not just the Players but everyone! And yet…I got to know them a little and expanded my world a little…feel them a little…

 

Neku hen felt frustrated and squeezed his bed sheets

 

So…I can't just write them out like that! I can't just act like I don't care! They helped me….they were there for me." Neku said sadly

 

Shiki them smiled at him noticing how he smiled back as he lifted his head.

 

"and then **Joshua said something to you in response to you saying that** , do you remember it Neku?" she said sweetly while doing her hand gesture when she giggles

 

He then closed his eyes and tried to imagine the situation causing him to see Joshua next to him and hears what he says.

 

_"Only by letting strangers in, can we find new ways to be ourselves."_

 

Neku then opens his eyes and tells Shiki what Joshua said

 

At that moment the sky grew a little brighter until it was almost dawn.

 

Clarissa noticed this and became extremely concerned

 

"Not just yet…I have to kill Shiki but I need to make it just right, I can't have her suspect anything." she thought

 

Shiki then finally finished talking about the second week by eventually revealing Neku's last mission for that week, to kill the second Game Master. She described how Sho would summon Taboo Noise for them to fight and eventually transform into his Lion Noise form. She also described how the lion form would kick and slash Neku and grab him with his gigantic paws and slam him back to the ground.

 

"Geez that sounds so painful. Good thing I was already dead 'cause there's no way I'd survive being attacked by a lion. So…then what?" Neku asked

 

"well seeing how **his attacks weren't killing you and Joshua,** **he became desperate** **and shot out a really powerful attack called a level I Flare**. since the fight was on the roof of a skyscraper, you had nowhere to run and panicked and squeezed your hair screaming at Joshua" Shiki said sadly

 

Neku then remembers what he yelled, seeing a vision of himself squeezing his hair

 

_"Crap! There's nowhere to run!"_

 

"NO!" Neku yelled "I...I was really about to be killed!"

 

he saw what happened next as a vision

 

"I can see it Shiki, Joshua…he pushed me out of the way…and right before he was erased he said to me…

 

_"But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose. Give up on yourself and you give up on the world."_

 

"And **then you entered the white room again,** where **you were told that you had to play the Game again as punishment for being with an illegal Player** and that **your entry fee…was every other remaining Player in the Game** so far." Shiki added

 

Neku then hanged his head while clenching his teeth

 

"I…I didn't trust my partner! Joshua was innocent! I lead him to his death, I constantly shoved in his face that I had to win…and…

 

Neku then took a deep breath and sighed

 

"I didn't screw up right? …I made sure to survive thanks to the second chance that Joshua gave me?" he said weakly

 

"yeah **you did Neku** , and that's when **the third and final week began** " she said smiling

 

As Shiki was about to tell him what happened next, Clarissa appeared startling them both.

 

"Clarissa? What are you doing here!?" Neku exclaimed

 

"Why Neku, I thought you'd be happy to see me." she said slyly

 

She then began to walk towards him making Shiki rise up from the bed.

 

"Don't get any closer! You're not gonna hurt Neku!" she said strongly

 

"Huh? What does she mean by that?" Neku thought

 

Clarissa then walked closer to him

 

"NO!" Shiki snarled she then stood in front of Neku shielding him from Clarissa

 

"Shiki what're you doing? I'm sure if you just talk to her like the way you have with me that she'll see you're not evil, that you don't want to hurt me." Neku said nervously

 

"that's where you're wrong Neku. This girl has been brainwashing you, and now I see that it's too late for you to break free from her grasp, I was sitting back trying to see if you could push her away. But I see now that I'll have to break you free even if it means destroying the source." Clarissa said darkly

 

"D-Destroy?! Clarissa you don't have to…

 

She then snapped her fingers and became her true demon form, the gray smoke form frightening Neku making him look at her wide-eyed

 

"this is what she really looks like?" he thought

 

She then generated black lightning in her hands and walked towards Shiki.

 

Shiki then closed her eyes to try to tap into her energy, but felt a headache, she was starting to overload herself with energy, the Imprints were starting to take its toll on her.

 

"Nnngh! My head." she said weakly as she squeezed her hair

 

"Shiki?" Neku said concerned

 

"I'm okay Neku…just a little headache" she said smiling

 

"I have to do it, I have to tap into my Angel energy. Mr. H killed a Demon Lord and he wasn't on par with him. So if he can do it….then so can I." Shiki thought

 

She then closed her eyes and focused her energy into her hands and generated her white angel energy.

 

Clarissa then shot her demon energy at Shiki only to have her block it shocking them both.

 

"Huh? Wait that's right…Mr. H said that Neku empowers me. Neku…his energy is starting to get stronger again and connect with me again!…that has to be it. Come on Neku I need that boost of energy." she thought

 

Clarissa then attacked unleashing more demon energy only to have Shiki cut through the energy with her angel energy causing Demon Mistress to back away.

 

"how is she actually overpowering my energy? Is THIS what a Higher Mind can do? Just by his energy being connected to her again…she's this strong now?" Clarissa thought surprised

 

"This is Neku's mind, not yours! So stop using him!" She said with her arms crossed

 

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WAS HURTING HIM, NOT ME! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT WAS USING HIM! YOU POURED YOUR ENERGY INTO HIM MAKING NEKU SUFFER AS HE BEGAN TO LOSE HIMSELF IN THE TRANSFORMATION!" Shiki roared with her hands clenched into a fist

 

As her desire to free Neku grew so did the energy, as Shiki walked closer to Clarissa her Angel energy surrounded her body.

 

"he's not a toy, he's not a demon and he's NOT Damien! HE'S NEKU SAKURABA! AND YOU'RE NOT TAKING THAT AWAY FROM HIIIIIIIIM!"

 

As Shiki screamed that sentence to Clarissa she then shot out a massive amount of Angel energy at her and tossed her out the window causing Clarissa to dissolve into black orbs.

 

By using so much energy Shiki was panting out of breath and now that Clarissa was gone Neku understood why Shiki attacked her causing the room to become brighter from it finally becoming dawn.

 

Shiki then sat on the bed and lets the energy fade into her body.

 

"Shiki are you okay?" Neku asked concerned

 

"yeah…do you see why she didn't want you to know about the Reapers' Game, why she kept that secret? It's a huge part of your life Neku especially how you made such an unlikely friend in the third week." she said sweetly

 

"An unlikely friend? With who?" he said curiously

 

Shiki then hanged her head

 

"Her grip on his mind was so strong that it's still taking time for him to remember? Alright just a bit more…if I have to…I'll even imprint with music…if I have to go that far." she thought

 

"you okay?" Neku asked from seeing her hang her head

 

She then lifted it to look at him, happy that he was changing

 

"yeah, I was just sad from her messing with your memories. That's all." she replied

 

"But do you still want to know about the third week?" she said sweetly

 

"yeah…I wanna see it through, I want to know how the Reapers' Game ended…I want the truth." he said firmly

 

She then smiled at how after this week, Neku finally had friends, that the imprinting is almost over.

 

Unknown to Shiki, is that by having to pour so many command codes at him, often times just be talking to him, it was exhausting her and began to affect her body.

 

To be continued…


	29. Becoming Clear

Shiki then smiled and told him about his first day of the third week. She told him that this was his last chance to get his life back in the Reapers' Game as punishment for him being with an illegal Player and how he was thinking of ways to play the Game on his own.

 

"Huh? But in order to be safe from the Noise I needed to make a pact with someone, cause if I didn't the Noise could easily hunt me down. So…how did I survive?" Neku said weakly

 

Shiki's smile then went away and she squeezed Mr. Mew.

 

"See that's just it Neku, what you said is true…so **on the first day of the third week** … **you almost died.** **You were the last Player.** " Shiki said hurt

 

Hearing her last sentence sent chills down his spine

 

"I…I was the last Player?!" Neku thought horrified

 

Shiki then continued with what happened next

 

" **You were spotted by some Noise and tried to outrun them.** **But just when you thought you were safe, the Reapers found you**. It was the Reaper that tricked you into almost killing me…you remember her right?" she asked

 

Neku then hanged his head

 

"Yeah…she's the one who you were a spy for the Reapers and said I had to kill you…or else I would've died. What did she do?" he said sadly

 

" **She took advantage of how you didn't have a partner** so… **she summoned a ton of Noise to kill you** , **and started counting down to zero, to when she would signal the Noise to kill you.** You…you were just ten seconds away from death." Shiki said sadly at the thought of him being Erased

 

He then raised his looking at her with shock

 

Shiki then wiped a tear coming down her cheek.

 

"She then started counting down" Shiki continued "And you told me how you thought it was all over."

 

_Neku then had a flashback to the event Shiki was describing._

_He sees himself surrounded by Noise hanging his head and heard his thoughts in that event_

_"It's all over…Shiki I'm sorry"_

 

"But what happened next?! Don't tell me I died and THAT'S how I entered the Higher Plane!" Neku said urgently

 

 

"His memory's still a little scrambled, I already told him we hanged out in the RG back when he knew me. Don't worry Neku, just hang in there" Shiki thought

 

 

"No, don't worry, that's not how it ends. You made it out of that situation Neku, and this is how it happened. **As she was counting down, the Reaper she would hang out with told her to speed it up**." Shiki added

 

She then described what Kariya looked like.

 

 **"Just when everything looked bleak like you were gonna be erased,** **someone came to save you Neku!"** she said smiling causing him to smile back

 

"really who?" he asked curiously

 

" **It was Beat**. **He said** that **the Reapers don't have any sense of honor attacking a defenseless Player**   **and that** in the long run **he never joined the Reapers to send the Noise to kill Players.** He joined them for a different reason and **because of him getting what he wanted and because he didn't like seeing you at the verge of dying,** **he decided to make a pact with you. He saved your life** Neku!" Shiki said happily

 

"Wait back up….Beat?! He saved me…But why? He was a Reaper, if he hadn't had done that then he could've ended the Game. Did he really care that much?" he said weakly

 

"Of course he did Neku. **That's why** , even though he didn't know you that well at first, **he gave up being a Reaper to save you.** **After you guys made your Pact, you two made a run for it and tried to escape the Reapers.** Luckily you two got away. He then explained **that he made a pact with you** because **he didn't want to just watch you die** like that and **felt like he was more suited to be a Player. Or "good guy" as he put it.** You also noticed **he had a squirrel Noise on his shoulder.** It was an orangish pink color with reaper wings on it. **He also explained that the Noise you noticed isn't really a Noise**." she said smiling

 

Neku then scratched his head a little confused

 

"So what was it then?" Neku asked puzzled

 

Shiki then chuckled at his curiosity

 

"I'm only gonna tell what happened in the order that they did Neku, I can't force too much info on you y'know? I don't want you to get frustrated." she replied

 

"Oh, that's fine then. I guess I'll find out what that Noise really is later right?" he asked her in a laid back tone

 

"Yup" Shiki said happily

 

She then continued to tell him what happened the next few days, including how the squirrel Noise was sealed in a pin that Mr. H made for Beat. She then explained that the third Game Master, Konishi was the one who took Beat's pin as his entry fee, due to him being expelled from the Reapers.

 

In addition to this, Shiki also explained that since Beat didn't get any points as a Reaper, due to him unable to complete his mission to kill Neku, that she estimated that he would be erased in five days.

 

"What?! But then that means Beat wouldn't survive the Game, he wouldn't get to take down the Composer and go to the Shibuya river to confront him, like how Joshua wanted to, and on top of that we didn't even know where she was hiding! Plus since Beat betrayed the Reapers, and it _is_ called the _Reapers' Game_ , how did his choice affect the Game?!" Neku screamed urgently

 

"well, **due to Beat's betrayal** , **the game was pretty much over.** **It was a whole new deal now.**   **On top of dealing with the mission the third Game Master gave you, to find her within the next few days or face erasure.** She also **erased the Noise from Beat's pin and said if you two wanted it back, that you'd have to find her.** **Beat also then revealed to you that he joined the Reapers to get Rhyme back…and he did, but as the squirrel Noise that was erased.** " she replied seriously

 

"now with **you and Beat being the last Players** all the **Reapers went crazy trying to hunt you guys down and kill you…even Tripple 7**." she replied morosely

 

 **"you guys looked for her by the stage at A-east only to find him there explaining that he wanted to end the Game by killing you and Beat.** He also explained **that the UG was in some sort of emergency state like it was at risk of being destroyed.** He then attacked you two, you both won, and **he gave you a keypin you could use to break walls set up by the Reapers…you two heard a scream and went to the stage to find his choker. He was erased.** " Shiki added sadly

 

Shiki then tells Neku how they defeated a giant Bat Noise on the stage and heard Konishi laugh at them as they exited the stage.

 

She told Neku that he and Beat planed to focus on just ending the Game by confronting the Composer instead of focusing on little side missions that were given to them by the substitute Game Master. Her mission was to track her down and take the fake Rhyme Noise pin back. They both thought that the Iron Maiden, as Beat would call her, had given it to Uzuki. Unfortunately for Neku Beat didn't remember what Reaper sport the mission was based off of and thought it was Reaper Creeper. Upon realizing this, Neku tells Beat to just say that he's not sure what to do rather then letting him chase after a fake mission.

 

Shiki explains that they then ran around Shibuya trying to find Uzuki, who was frustrated by them not following the mission. She explained that Reaper Sport four is Tag. Shiki then smiled as she explained Neku's reaction to what Uzuki had said.

 

"you just poked her and said, tag. I just think it's kinda funny how you defeated the purpose of the Sport by doing that. Since….well you're supposed to run after them you know?" she said cheerfully

 

"yeah…that is kinda funny making her look bad" Neku said smiling a little

 

She then added that Uzuki then attacked him and Beat but failed to Erase them. Karyia then appeared and explains that to get Rhyme back that they'd have to play a game he made. He had the Rhyme pin and told them that they had to solve the riddle of each box to get the pin back and face him. As she described this Neku noticed that he and Beat woke up in a different part of Shibuya instead of usually waking up at the Scramble Crossing.

 

"Hm? But why would I wake up at the underpass by Miyashita Park?" Neku asked

 

"that was part of Kariya's game." Shiki replied

 

She then continued to explain what happened

 

"the boxes went in the order of a star, moon then a sun on it, each box had a piece of paper next to it that showed the amount of Noise you had to defeat for the each box to open. They were really tricky cause if you didn't kill the Noise in the right order, and then push the button, the box would reset."

 

"Rrrgh! That sounds really annoying." Neku remarked while crossing his arms

 

Shiki then chuckled

 

"yeah they really were but eventually **you beat them all and got a keypin to let you and Beat go to Towa Records to fight Kariya** …but **as you two went headed to the wall, you noticed Beat was sad standing by some flowers. When you asked him what was wrong…he began to cry.** " she said weakly

 

The Imprints helped Neku piece together his memory again and saw what she described as a flashback.

 

_"hey man what's wrong?" he saw himself ask_

_"this is where… Beat said weakly_

_"Flowers? Was there an accident here?" Neku asked_

 

Neku then noticed how he saw himself in shock as Beat started to cry and revealed that they were standing at the same spot where he and his sister Rhyme died. He then began to explain what lead to his death…

 

_"that mornin' me an' my folks had it out, an' jus' like always I took off. An' jus' like always Rhyme came after me." Beat explained sadly_

_"But one thing was different" he continued " the car yo, it came screamin' towards her, I…I jumped in front of her but, I ain't strong enough to stop a car yo. That was our ticket to the UG."_

In the flashback Neku hid his face in his funnel collar till only his bangs showed and had his hands in his pockets.

 

 _"I'm…I'm really sorry man_. _" Neku said weakly_

 

_"I killed her…I stole her future ya know? Rhyme wasn't a loser like me. She had dreams. Things ahead of her. If I… if I hadn't ran outta the house, hadn't fought with my folks, if I had pushed her outta the way a second sooner… Beat said filled with heartache_

Neku then felt empathetic towards Beat and expressed how he felt

 

_"but c'mon man, you know she didn't hold it against you."_

_The vision continued with Neku seeing Beat reveal that Rhyme didn't remember anything. He revealed what Rhyme said to him when they woke up in the UG_

_"Nice to meet you. I mean talk about your sick jokes man. Rhyme didn't remember a thing about me." Beat said hurt_

_"so they took her memory away_ , _like they did with me." Neku replied_

 

_"prob'ly but she didn't win the Game, so even if I become Composer an' make her right again, her memories of me might be gone for good." Beat added_

_"that's…terrible" Neku said sadly_

_"it's what it is" Beat replied almost woefully like he gave up_

_"but I don' care, I'm still gonna bring her back. It's the leas' I can do for her!" he cried_

_"I'm with you man." Neku said firmly_

_"thanks…" Beat said weakly_

 

"whoa…that…that was…so intense" Neku said weakly

 

His chest felt heavy filled with heartache

 

Shiki noticing how hurt Neku looked asked if he was okay

 

"yeah…I…I guess that flashback felt a little too real… so what happened next? I had to be there for him no matter what!" Neku cried

 

"and **you were Neku, all the way to the end.** But **what happened next is that when you scanned the area to find clues** on **where Karyia might be hiding you weren't able to read people's minds anymore.** **The O-pins, the pins you and me made popular as part of our mission possessed everyone.** **The O-pins were like the RG equivalent to the Player pin. Then finally Kariya showed up and you two fought him.** " Shiki explained

 

She then added that Uzuki came along and prevented him from giving the Rhyme pin back. The two Reapers then teamed up and attacked Beat and Neku only to be defeated again. Kariya then gave Beat back the pin…only to notice it was a fake, he apologizes and gives Beat a level four Keypin, a pin that would give him full access to the UG.

 

Shiki then explained on the fifth day that he got to know Beat a bit better. She explained that Beat told him that he's only the hot-headed hyper person that he knows from entering the UG. He then sees the rest as a flashback.

 

_"you always run on full blast huh?" he said in the flashback_

_"not even close man, only since comin' to the UG." Beat answered_

_"yeah?" Neku said curiously_

_"when I was alive I took everything at my own pace." Beat added_

_"YOU?" Neku cried in disbelief_

_"yeah I wasn't crazy about nothin' that's why my folks always bitched at me. You gotta get into a good school! You gotta think about your future!All they wanted was results man. Like I really give a crap you know?" Beat said frustrated_

_"they kept expectin' stuff I ain't got" he continued "then made me feel like trash when I didn't give it. They' d say: why can't you be like your sister? I hated it. So I quit tryin'_ all together _. I gave up on myself so my folks would too, and the funny thing is, they did. Not Rhyme though. Yo I could rob a bank and she'd still be there for me. She always had the right words: I know you have a dream, she'd say but you just haven't found it yet. But it got old, bein' pitied by my lil' sister._

_"So I started pushing her away right up to the day we died." Beat said sadly_

 

In the flashback Neku then told him that he DOES have a dream only to have Beat reveal that his dream was a lie. He explained Rhyme was beating herself up, she said she had no dreams.

 

_"why come back to life if I have nothing to live for?" she said. Damn it yo, that was all backwards! She's the one who had a million reasons to live. I realized somethin' then, Rhyme's all I got left so I said to myself I gotta find the words that she did for me, tell her that her dreams are comin' just like mine did…even if that's just a big lie. But all I did was fool her into thinin' I'm worth dyin' for. I'm an idiot man. I waited too long to realize what she meant to me. I'm nothin' but an IDIOT!" Beat screamed at Neku_

 

Neku then hid his face again and said that Beat is an idiot

 

_"Beat, you definitely are an idiot, a huge idiot" Neku exclaimed_

_"whatchu say?!" Beat roared_

 

Neku noticed in the flashback that he started talking like Beat.

 

_"why would you let your 'rents push you down like that? That's not the Beat I know. Don't go the distance for other people, do it for yourself."_

 

_"Huh?" Beat exclaimed_

_"like your doing right now" Neku continued "just go as far as you can go. The results will come later right?"_

 

_"Phones" Beat said weakly_

_"I'm sorry about Rhyme, but what's done is done. Focus on the now, she wouldn't want you wasting energy on regret. Why do you think she stuck by you? She knew you could do anything you put your mind to. Anyway, I'm lucky. How many idiots would have the stones to screw over the Reapers and help out the underdog?" Neku said smiling_

_"Neku…" Beat said softly_

_"you're an idiot Beat so start acting like one. Don't you turn into a deep thinker on me yo." Neku said with a smug smile with his hand on his hip._

 

_"Beat…" Neku said to Shiki "he went through so much crap. He used to be like me…he didn't care about anyone…just like me. I can't believe it."_

_"yeah and it gets better Neku you'll see." she said smiling_

 

Shiki then tells Neku about the next day

 

_"all the reapers started hunting you guys as you used the pin to look around for the third Game Master but they all were possessed by the red skull pins making them all say the same thing. As you guys headed to Cat street you noticed that a wall was broken."_

_"No…Mr. H…CAT he can't be the Composer…right?" Neku thought weakly_

 

Shiki then explained that Neku was about to use the camera on his phone to take pictures of what happened in the past to see who trashed Mr. H's coffee shop….but Beat took too many pictures (three pictures for each day) and was unable to see what happened. They spotted Mr. H and found a gold Keypin, and decided to use it on the one place they hadn't checked, the Shibuya river, and found a letter from Mr. H.

 

"huh what'd it say?" Neku asked

 

" **Can you remember?** " Shiki said hopefully

 

Neku then closed his eyes and remembered what the letter said:

 

_"staying alive in this Shibuya boils down to one trick. Enjoy every moment with all your might, whether it's gloomy or whether it's bright."_

 

He then opened his eyes and told her that his memories are getting restored more, that he remembered the letter.

 

"So don't stop now, keep 'em coming. What happens next?" Neku asked smiling

 

 

"heh heh, okay **you two ran around Shibuya and found a garbage heap** … **the second Game master was back, he also revealed that the level I flare had that effect on him, it made him half Taboo Noise and powered himself up with more taboo energy and tried to kill you two…and…he almost did.** After that **you two woke up on the next day. You tried to scan people for clues and heard them all say one phrase…**

 

"To right the wrongs of our day, we shine this light of true redemption. That this place may become a paradise what a wonderful world such would be."

 

" **You two then headed to the Shibuya river only to be attacked by Noise over and over. You two then woke up in the scramble crossing again…it was the last day.** " she said darkly

 

At that moment his room had become lit with the light of dawn

 

"whoa…Shiki the sun's rising." Neku remarked as he looked out the window.

 

"yeah…heh heh I don't think I've ever stayed up late enough to see this…it's kinda pretty." she said happily

 

"yeah…all the colors in the sky blending together perfectly, almost like a painting…it really is pretty huh. I bet…this is representing my memory…it has to be. ever since you've been talking to me, everything's been getting brighter, allowing me to see things more clearly." he said sweetly

 

"just a bit more Neku…my head hurts again for some reason but…I'll deal with it, just a bit more and you'll be yourself again." she thought

 

Shiki then explains that Beat's hands began to fade, he was starting to be erased. But his determination to not die until his sister is saved helped him pull through. They both headed over to the Shibuya river to see that the wall protecting it had been broken afraid that the Grim Heaper might've gotten to the Composer first they rushed inside only to find that the second GM was already inside the place he revealed that the third GM was hiding in Beat's shadow.

 

"wait I remember now…I got a message on my phone warning me to beware of Shadows…that had to have been Mr. H…he was always there for me." Neku thought

 

She added that they saw the third GM materialize from Beat's shadow and promises to lower the barrier she set up if she was made Conductor when Sho killed the Composer. She also revealed that the third GM only sides with who's the strongest she doesn't care who the Composer is.

 

" **you both fought her and you snagged Rhyme's pin and used it against the third Game Master Konishi, you defeated her and went ahead.** As **you guys went further you heard footsteps and demanded that that person show themselves**." Shiki added

 

"well who was it?" Neku asked

 

"me…" Shiki replied " **The Conductor lied to us,** I thought he brought me back to life but, **I woke up in the Shibuya River** … **I wasn't sure why I was there but…I found you and Beat there…and then you told me what happened that I was your entry fee**."

 

Neku then scratched his head

 

"yeah…I…I remember that from the end of the first week…sorry." Neku said weakly.

 

Shiki then smiled at him

 

"it's okay Neku…really. sure I was dragged back into the Game but…I got to be with you again." she said sweetly

 

"Um...thanks" Neku said blushing a little

 

"heh heh don't mention it" she said smiling

 

"we **entered the last chambers that lead to the Composer's lair**." she continued

 

Just hearing that sentence sent chills down his spine

 

"the Composer's lair?" Neku thought fearful

 

" **we found the Sho, or Pi-face** as he's sometimes nicknamed, **crushed by a vending machine and a car, and went forward** " Shiki continued

 

"Joshua? He'd use those objects on the Noise…but why would he kill him?" Neku thought curiously

 

"Eventually, **we found a bronze colored door where you looked really pale** … **you looked nervous Neku**. I asked **if you were okay and you reassured me that you're fine.** **We entered the door but I didn't have my Player pin, so when the Conductor saw us, he then told us that we have no right to lay a hand on the Composer…and he attacked us** …but before he did, **he triggered the mind control of the O-pin** I wasn't sure I why I had it on…I'm still not sure and **Beat fought me, and you fought the Conductor**." she added

 

" **he'd unleash this energy out of him and start wiping you with it** over and over, and  **he'd even** be cheap and **freeze you in place by stopping time so he could attack you. He hurt you really bad Neku. But at least you had your healing pin** " Shiki said weakly

 

" **The Conductor then disappeared rather than being erased because you found him later on**. But **before we were able to go confront the Composer** , you guys noticed **I was still possessed by the Red Skull pin, and I attacked you from behind**." she said sadly

 

The Imprinting then lead to another flashback.

 

_"it's no good man. Girl be tryin' to kill us! We outta options. Shiki…forgive me." Beat said darkly_

_Neku then saw himself stand in front of Shiki_

_"Stop! Don't you touch her!" Neku cried_

 

_"Stupid behind you!" Beat roared_

 

Shiki then unleashed four Mr. Mew clones to attack Neku only to have him shielded by Beat. Neku then immediately swiped Shiki's Red Skull pin in half knocking her out. Beat also laid unconscious from the attack.

 

"Beat…he protected me" Neku said weakly as the flashback ended.

 

"So what's next?" Neku asked

 

"Well as you know, **the Reapers' Game was officially over in the 3rd week but now it's over for real. No more Reapers, No more Missions All that was left was to kill the Composer so we could finally end the game**. **After we were knocked out, you used your Player pin to find a secret door in the Composer's pad** **that lead you to another section called the Dead God's Pad. You noticed it had CAT's graffiti on the walls you'd run past as you attempted to face the Composer**." Shiki said weakly

 

"and that's when **everything started to end…for real this** **time**." Shiki added causing Neku to look at her seriously.


	30. A Friend Returns

"you continued running down **the Dead God's Pad and thought about** **CAT.** " Shiki said to a nervous Neku

 

He then sees himself running down the seemingly endless path, and sees himself stop to think about Mr. H

 

_"this graffiti" Neku said aloud_

 

 _"I remember, Mr. H. your art kept me going every piece seemed to shout: enjoy life! And outside my headphones, the rest of the world heard it too. It was fun just standing here looking…when I found out you were CAT man, I just shook. I mean I knew you were different the second I met you. The things you said, somehow they clicked. I thought I finally met a guy I could respect…and now look_ " Neku thought

 

"But I won't falter anymore. You taught me better than that." he said aloud

 

Neku saw himself run further and then stop again thinking about everyone that got him that far.

 

_"Shiki…Beat…Joshua…Rhyme…everybody. They got me this far now…"_

_"it's my fight!" Neku said strongly_

He then sees himself enter a room called the Room of Reckoning.

 

_"this place…" Neku thought in the vision_

_"come on out Composer! Fight me! You want me to defeat you right?! Isn't that it?! Then show yourself!" he screamed_

 

Neku sees himself frustrated in the vision and sees himself crying.

 

_"Show yourself and fight…Mr. H" Neku said sniffling_

_"Who's Mr. H?" he heard a voice say causing Neku to gasp_

_"You again! But I just beat you!" he shouted_

 

It was Megumi Kitaniji the Conductor. He laughed at Neku and said he was amazed at how he was at the end of the Game and he still didn't know what's going on.

 

_"here you stand at the final stage, and yet you still don't know who's playing what!" Megumi said tauntingly_

 

_"what do you mean?" Neku asked in shock_

_"Alright, you want answers? First off the Composer is not the man you envision. Second, the Composer is not here and hasn't been since before you entered the UG. So sorry you missed Him. I've been in charge of the UG since his departure." The Conductor said slyly_

_"Mr. Hanekonma's not the Composer? Then you're responsible…"_

_"for many things yes" the Conductor added cutting Neku off_

_"Why_ _…why would you do this to Shibuya?" Neku asked in shock_

_"Oh_ _Neku don't you like music?" Megumi said in a sinister tone_

 

_"huh?" Neku exclaimed_

_"music requires many things. Melody, performers, instruments…but the key to the most divine music is a Conductor holding it all together. The world is very much the same. Under one Conductor, one ideal, the world of men marches in pure bliss." Megumi explained_

_"one ideal?" Neku said alarmed_

_"Didn't you feel it in Shibuya? Rage, hate, misery, envy, fear, self-deprecation. A cacophony of selfish wants. As that noise swells it turns into crime, warfare…All of the world's ills can be traced to individuality!" the Conductor said sharply_

_"ills?" Neku said_

_"By tearing down the differences between us, I can make the world a paradise!" Megumi said proudly_

 

_"by making everybody think alike? That's not even pos-" Neku screamed getting cut off_

_"it IS possible with these pins!" Megumi said strongly_

_"the Red Skull pins…You're behind that too?!" Neku roared_

_"I based them off of the Composer's Player pin. You see the eyes of the world are on Shibuya. What started on these streets will spread across the globe! I can save all of mankind from right here. Shibuya shall be my podium! I know you'll love what I do with it. Now if you'll just remove that Player pin… Megumi said in a dark tone of voice_

_"huh?" Neku said confused_

_"it neutralizes the_ _effects of the Red Skull pin. So my imprinting can't reach you." Megumi replied with a twisted smile_

 

_"this pin…protects me? All this time it was-" Neku thought in disbelief_

_"what have your interactions with people brought you? Only hurt." Megumi said darkly causing Neku to hide his face in his funnel collar_

_"Join me and help me build a new Shibuya." Megumi said slyly_

 

_"At one point…I would've gladly said yes to helping you. Maybe living in your Shibuya would be easier…MAYBE. But there's just one problem, it wouldn't be Shibuya! I was never good with people. I covered my ears and blocked them out…but you know what? If I don't clash I don't change!_

_The world ends at my borders, and the best moments slip away. Shibuya's full of people waiting for those moments, when we clash together and find something new. Here in the UG, I clashed I changed. And now I know Shibuya should stay just as it is!" Neku said strongly_

_"Then let me ask you this…do you like people?" the Conductor asked_

_"No…" Neku said weakly_

_"I see I think you need to be reformed" Megumi replied_

_"Rrrgh!" Neku snarled_

 

_"save your energy, an unpartnered Player has little to no power. You can't stop me." Megumi said smiling_

 

Neku then sees himself frozen in place in the vision.

 

"I…I can't move" Neku thought fearfully

 

He then sees the Conductor stand behind him.

 

_"remember that I'm saving you. This pin was standing between you and freedom from pain. Now bask in the light of true redemption!" The Conductor declared_

_"DON'T!" Neku screamed_

 

He then crushed Neku's Player pin and places the Red Skull pin on Neku

 

_"Welcome to the new Shibuya." Megumi said darkly_

Neky then stood in silence fearing the worse. He was afraid to even open his mouth to speak, afraid of uttering the same phrase the possessed citizens did. But when he finally spoke he was in shock

 

_"Nothing happened?!" Neku said in shock_

_"Wh-What?! But I destroyed your Player pin. Why can't I imprint on you?!_

 

Megumi then sighed

 

_"I'm a fool I should've known that he wouldn't let me harm His pick."_

 

_"Who's pick?" Neku cried_

_"I don't owe you any more explanations, only destruction!" Megumi roared_

At that moment Neku heard Beat intervene.

 

_"Yo, yo, yo, I don't think so! Ain't you forgettin' somebody? Here comes the Beat-wagon!"_

_"huh? Beat! Shiki!" Neku said alarmed_

 

"I told you yo, ain't nobody gonna be the Composer but me!" Beat shouted

 

_"How could you go on without us Neku? We're your partners! Now what Mr. H said about partners?" Shiki said smiling_

_"Um trust 'em?" Neku exclaimed still in shock_

_"that's better" Shiki said strongly_

_"yo forget this partner crap. You ain't my partner anymore man, you're my friend. So_ trus _' that yo!" Beat cried_

 

_"Beat…" Neku said weakly_

 

He then saw the vision end at that moment.

 

"I…I can't believe it…you two…no…all of you have been there for me. I…I thought I couldn't trust people but…I was wrong. I see that now. What happens now? I killed Shades right?" Neku said weakly

 

_"Yeah, I partnered up with you first. Then once you and I got a certain amount of damage on him Beat took over. You two ended the fight and then you saw the Conductor. He said that he had to keep fighting, that his time was almost up…but then you heard a voice call out to him." Shiki replied_

Neku then saw what happened next as his memories of the Game grew stronger.

 

" _I'm back Megumi." the voice said_

 

It was Joshua

 

_"your timer must be nearly ticking out" he remarked smiling with his hands in his pockets_

 

_"Joshua?! You're alive!" Neku cried in shock_

_"but why are you here?" he asked_

_"no sir! I'm not done yet! I WILL protect Shibuya!" Megumi shouted_

 

He then unleashed energy from his hands, it flew past Neku and fused with Joshua allowing him to fuse with the Conductor all with a smile on his face. The two powerful beings fused together to form a Dragon Noise with two extra heads and Neku's friends inside bubbles, with Joshua sticking out of its head.

 

Neku saw himself standing amongst the Dragon Noise and couldn't help but feel nervous as he saw himself get hurt. He had nowhere to run to recover from damage. The six Dragon heads would close in on him and either bite him, or shoot out dozens of balls of energy that were nearly impossible for him to dodge. He saw himself get caught in a bubble the Dragon made only to swipe his way out of it just in time before getting bitten by the dragon.

 

_"huh? I see you guys making a pact with me." Neku told Shiki_

_"yeah me, Beat, and Joshua focused our energy and thoughts on you to pass the light puck to you to help you get stronger Neku." Shiki said smiling._

He sees the light puck get passed to him from Shiki, increasing his attack power. Neku then passes it back to her. Beat then sends the light puck increasing Neku's power even more. Even Joshua passed the light puck to him. Eventually Neku had a power increase of five times finally allowing him to do devastating damage on the dragon.

 

 

There were a few close calls where he saw himself overwhelmed by the dragon even with their help. He was panting out of breath using his right arm as a crutch to keep himself steady as he would occasionally run away from the dragon to find a spot to heal himself. Eventually Neku ran out of healing pins.

 

 

Seeing this frightened Neku as he knew that he saw himself fight in the vision, he knew if he had messed up that he would've died. However thanks to the five times power increase he had, he had made the dragon worn out.

 

 

Neku fought the dragon determined to destroy it but received many wounds in the process frightening him as he watched himself in the vision. It came down to one last hit. he was overwhelmed with exhausted and used his advanced version pyrokineses pin called, Blue Bloods Burn Blue, to finally drain the Kitaniji dragon Noise's health.

 

 

He saw that he finally had a chance to kill the dragon and did his three-way pact with Beat, Shiki, and Joshua, combining their energy with his and unleashed a devastating attack on the dragon finally the Conductor was defeated with Neku, Beat, Joshua and Shiki being teleported back to the room of reckoning.

 

_"Hee hee, it seems I won" Joshua said slyly_

_"NOOOOOOO! It can't end like this! Who else will protect Shibuya?" Megumi cried looking at his timer_

_A startled Neku then gasped realizing what that meant_

_"A timer?!" he shouted "why does HE have a timer?!_

_"then you'll do as you intended?" a saddened Megumi asked Joshua_

_"you're going to erase it…the streets I know and love…gone" he said weakly_

_"You did well Megumi. That was one of my more enjoyable Games" Joshua said smiling_

_"I gave it my all sir. I have no regrets" Megumi said weakly_

_"you know I liked your idea. Shame it didn't work out" Joshua said slyly_

 

_"you gave me a wonderful opportunity, thank you sir." Megumi said smiling accepting defeat_

With those words, the somewhat saddened Head Reaper was erased.

 

_"Joshua? What's going on?" Neku said confused_

_"All of this was a Game, one set up by me." Joshua said smiling_

_"What?" Neku cried_

 

_"then that means you're-" Neku said getting cut off_

_"let me make it obvious. Hmmm, I suppose they'll serve." Joshua said nonchalantly freezing Beat and Shiki in place._

_"Shiki?! Beat?!" Neku exclaimed_

_"Hee hee it was me Neku. I'm Shibuya's Composer." Joshua said smiling at him_

_"What? But that…can't be…" Neku said weakly_

_"I know that must unsettle you. Especially since we spent all that quality time together. Still, it is the truth and you need to accept it. Megumi and I decided to play this Game…to determine if Shibuya should exist or not." Joshua explained_

_"then everything I've done… all of it…" a saddened Neku said_

_"Mm-hmm, you were playing for my team. Really you did a bang-up job. I couldn't have won without you."_

_"then…What have I done?!" Neku cried_

Neku then saw Joshua explain in the vision that he needed someone to fight in his place. That he chose one boy from the RG

 

_"me?" Neku said to Joshua_

_"very sharp Neku give yourself a hand. I knew I picked a winner" Joshua said slyly_

 

_"but it was Pi-face that killed me" Neku exclaimed_

_"his bullet was meant for me" Joshua corrected him_

_"for some time now, he's been after my seat. Maybe he thought I could be killed in the RG. A gross miscalculation. A Composer, unlike the Reapers, can use some of his power in the living world." he continued_

_"so poor Minamimoto failed and fled back to the UG. But I like keeping him around. He knows how to heat up a Game. Unfortunately, he overheated this time, so I had to retire him early. Could have him spoiling the climax" Joshua said smiling._

Neku saw himself ask if Joshua killed Sho and he answered that he did while complementing vision Neku's intelligence and continued to explain that he would follow Joshua everywhere even in the RG. He then gives vision Neku all of his memories of his death back.

 

As this happened Neku saw himself scream in pain from the intensity of everything crashing back at him. Triggering a painful migraine. Neku then sees the vision in order of what happened.

 

_"Shiki…I see it. I'm at the tag mural in Udagawa smiling. Just being happy because of how much I love graffiti. I placed my hand on the wall just…feeling it and…then Joshua ran up to me. NO! he has a gun in his hand like last time but…when he fired…he shot Pi-face's left shoulder." Neku cried out_

 

Seeing what happened next made him gasp.

 

_"I…I got back up but when I did, Pi-Face shot towards me making me shield my face…but…Huh? The…the bullet's slowing down. Joshua's slowing it down and now Pi-face is shooting nine bullets at him…and Joshua made them all miss him…and they dropped to the floor. They're pointing their guns at each other! And now Pi-face ran back to the UG just like he said but-_

Neku then gasped again causing Shiki to become sad from the intensity of his vision.

 

" _there…there I am again back on the ground looking in the direction of where he ran off…and…_

Neku then hears the sound of Joshua cocking his gun...and then the blast of the bullet being launched

 

_"NOOOOOO!" Neku screamed terrified seeing his body lay lifeless with a Player pin on his chest_

_"he…he killed me!" Neku exclaimed hurt._

 

He then sees the rest of the vision with himself panting out of breath.

 

_"I thought…I thought I finally had a friend I could relate to…but it was YOU! YOU KILLED ME!" Neku roared_

 

_"Now why don't we play one last Game?_

_"You tricked me!" Neku cried enraged_

_"The winner gets to be Composer and do whatever he likes with Shibuya. If you win you decide. If I win I'll decide, of course_ , _I've already decided." Joshua said sinisterly while pulling back his hair_

 

Joshua then explained the rules of his game and said that Neku should pick up the pistol on the ground for their duel.

 

_"Don't screw with me Joshua!" Neku roared_

_"I assure you I'm not. Life's little crossroads are oftentimes as simple as the pull of a trigger." Joshua said slyly_

_"your face is priceless" he remarked at how Neku hid it away from Joshua overwhelmed with sadness and hate_

 

Joshua then taunted him asking him if he remembered what Mr. H said about partners, causing Neku to get cut off by a startling sentence from Joshua.

 

_"Oh before I forget, I've already collected your entry fee."_

Joshua then began to count down

 

" _now let the game begin…10...9..._

 

He points the gun at Neku only to see him overwhelmed with so much hate, anger, heartache, and sadness that he cried from being betrayed again. He then opened his eyes to see Joshua pointing his gun at him and raised his gun at his back-stabber of a friend.

 

Joshua stared at Neku with blank eyes while he clenched his teeth fuming from his intense emotions. Neku's arms trembled with anger as he held the gun…they shook more and more until he lowered his gun back to his side, and felt a sharp jolt in his chest and fell to the floor laying on his stomach…drifting into unconsciousness, hearing Joshua's haunting laugh. He then opened his eyes in shock to see Mr. H standing by Joshua. Neku then sees himself in the RG again trembling with rage on the ground

 

" _why? WHAT THE HELL?!"_

 

The vision then ended there

 

"He…he saved me?…That wasn't the UG was it?" Neku asked trying to piece everything together.

 

"No Joshua was just messing with you. We all hanged out with our families after we returned to the RG. And then we hung out for the first time one week later." Shiki said smiling

 

Neku then remembered what happened

 

"yeah…I was at the tag mural again and I started walking to the Hachiko statue. I saw Beat and Rhyme again. We hung out and he gave me a nuggie…heh heh and then felt someone tap my back, I turned around and…it was you." Neku said smiling

 

"I…I've got friends now" he said in disbelief

 

He then hangs his head filled with sadness that the Reapers' Game was hidden from him, that he was lied to again.

 

"Neku what's wrong?" Shiki asked sweetly

 

"I…I just can't believe it. She lied to me…I thought that we were friends but…she used me…and so did Joshua but…I trust him. In the end he saved us. I just feel…so…hurt." Neku said weakly

 

"well I know what can make you better." she said smiling

 

"really?" Neku asked

 

"I can't believe I'm about to do this, I've never done this in front of anyone…what if this Imprint is too strong? I don't care, I'm too close to just stop now." she thought

 

"yeah I do" she said sweetly "Whenever you would get sad, there was a song you would listen to that made you feel better. It went...something like this"

 

Shiki sat up nice and tall and got ready for the imprint.

 

_**"There may not be an answer to this too, as to why the sky is blue?** _

__

_**Is the change in me all true? Now that you are next to me** _

__

_**I have no fears and all I know is that I want to be with you.** _

__

_**Sometimes it's easy to forget the times we weep, the moment makes us weak and all the shame I see.** _

__

_**Memories exist for all the precious days that my heart wants to keep, somewhere deep inside of me.** _

__

_**A lullaby for you, don't you worry baby, I'll be there by your side** _

__

_**May tomorrow be wonderful too.** _

__

_**Close to you I hope to stay, endlessly from today** _

__

_**Even through cloudy days, you are not alone.** _

__

_**Sweet dreams I do not see cause darkness scares me,** _

__

_**Is it because I'm still fifteen? Or the loneliness in me** _

__

_**Wish I may I wish I might sleep soundly through those windy nights,** _

__

_**Just to dream of you tonight."** _

__

As Shiki sang to him Neku smiled and sang along with her creating a two-part harmony

 

_**"A lullaby for you, stars will always gracefully watch over till it's bright** _

__

_**May tomorrow be wonderful too** _

__

_**Take my hand and promise me that we'll be alright,** _

__

_**Finding a place to be at home you are not alone."** _

 

Neku then sang the first half _**"maybe I'll turn back and stay, where I came from only yesterday"**_

 

 

Shiki sang the second half of the song Whisper then, the past is gone eternally.

 

They then went back to the two-part harmony

 

_**"A lullaby for you don't you worry baby, I'll be there by your side** _

__

_**May tomorrow be wonderful too,** _

__

_**Close to you I hope to stay endlessly from today** _

__

_**Even through cloudy days you are not alone…** _

__

_**We are not, alone…"** _

__

They both smiled and chuckled at each other.

 

"Shiki, I never knew you could sing…we…we just pulled off a two-part harmony and we sang acapella!" Neku said excitedly

 

"Aca…what?" Shiki said confused

 

"heh heh, it's a music term, Italian for singing without instruments and-

 

"Neku!" Shiki cried as she hugged him

 

"you're really okay again" she said happily

 

"yeah…I really am, thanks to all of you guys." he said sweetly hugging her back

 

They then let go of their embrace to see the sun was fully shining in his room, almost like it was twelve in the afternoon. Due to the brightness in his room Neku noticed a key on the floor by his bed.

 

"Huh? Shiki look, there was a way for me to get out of here this whole time…but I never saw it." he said weakly

 

"That's because Clarissa didn't want you to." she replied

 

Shiki then got off of his bed.

 

"Come on Neku! Beat, Rhyme, and Joshua are all waiting for you outside the door. I can take you to them if you want to see." she says extending out her hand.

 

"yeah" Neku said smiling

 

He then extends out her hand to her but then draws it back

 

"before we go…there's something I gotta do." he said sweetly

 

Neku then closed his eyes as he smiled while he stood up with his back facing his bed, and took off his headphones leaving them on his pillows.

 

"You sure?" Shiki asked

 

"Yeah…I'm ready to face the world now…and not push everyone away with my headphones." he said smiling.

 

He then extends his hand out to Shiki and held her hand, causing the door to swing open revealing a bright light causing him to squint.

 

Neku opened his eyes to see he and Shiki were in an empty void, like they were in a wormhole, Neku's Subconscious. he was surrounded by different shades of gray from lightest to darkest with the darkest part of this void being black beneath him. Shiki sprouted Angel wings to help her fly as they both felt an intense current pulling them down.

 

 

As she got closer to the surface she then felt something pulling her down. She looked behind her to see Neku squeezing her right hand with his right hand, and felt it starting to slip.

 

"No!" Neku thought closing his eyes not wanting to see himself fall farther and farther away from her.

 

His fingers began to slip more and more till he finally let's go of Shiki only to have her instantly grab his wrist causing her to squeeze Neku's yellow wristband.

 

"Don't worry Neku, I won't let you fall down there ever again." she said smiling

 

She then went full blast, becoming an angel, making her headache even worse, and allowed her to fly all the way to the surface of the gray void causing it to get lighter to the point it was white.

 

"Shiki? …she's...an Angel?" Neku thought

 

They so close to the surface that Neku had to close his eyes from being blinded by the light.

 

When he opened his eyes he saw all his friends smiling at him.

 

"welcome back Neku" Shiki said sweetly

 

"They're all here." Neku said weakly outloud "They all look like the way Shiki described them"

 

Beat then crossed his arms and glared at Neku.

 

"heh I ain't buyin' it. How do we know that's the real Phones an' not the Demon Witch makin' him look like Neku yo?" Beat said angrily

 

Neku then chuckled

 

"Heh heh, cause nobody messes with the Freakin' Rhino yo!" he exclaimed smiling

 

Remembering that Neku talked like him to cheer him up in the Game lit up a smile on his face

 

"PHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONES!" Beat yelled as he ran up to him

 

He then gave Neku a nuggie causing him to smile and laugh. Rhyme then ran up to him too.

 

"it's my turn Beat!" Rhyme yelled causing him to let go of Neku

 

She then leaped over to him and hugged him

 

"I'm so glad you're okay again Neku!" Rhyme said happily

 

Joshua stood in the background smiling at the situation, even he chuckled a little. He then noticed someone behind him.

 

"Hm? Did he come here to check on Neku?" Joshua thought.

 

Seeing Joshua distracted caused Neku to look in his direction, seeing a transparent person with gray skin. The moment they made eye contact, the mysterious person leaped out of one of the stain glass windows and sprouted bat wings.

 

"I'm glad you're okay again Neku" Taki thought "I just wish I could be your friend too. But I'm a monster now and anything could happen, since demon energy is so hostile, I could try to kill you. I'm too dangerous to be around. Besides, I'm apart of your past. They're apart of your future. Goodbye Neku…"

 

Taki then felt a tear stream down his face and left the Demon Realm determined to never let Neku see him ever again.

 

"Who was that?" Neku thought

 

When he was about to ask Joshua who that person was, Shiki let's out a grunt of pain squeezing her hair.

 

"Nnnnngh!" She moaned

 

"Shiki? Shiki!" Neku screamed

 

He saw her eyes roll to the back of her head and she collapsed having Neku catch her and hold her in his arms, making Beat and Rhyme look at her terrified and even Joshua was shocked. He then saw her entire body become white outlined in pink reminding him of his visions his demon energy gave him.

 

"They weren't there to scare me…those visions of me holding Shiki and absorbing her energy…they were leading to future events!…I…did I do this to her?" he thought

 

"NOOOOOOO! Shiki! What happened?! why are you-

 

Neku then saw demons crash through the windows of his throne room as gray mist. The multiple streams of mist flew over to Shiki and grabbed the orbs leaking out of her.

 

"No!" Neku cried as another one took an orb

 

"Don't!" he cried from seeing the same thing again.

 

He then clenched his teeth filled with anger

 

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" he screamed

 

Neku then let's out an inhuman roar that startled all the demons with his eyes being pupils and red again.

 

"No…N..Neku we just got…you back." Shiki said weakly

 

"Don't worry Shiki, I'm making this happen, I can control it now. When you removed Clarissa from my mind, her energy left me too." he said softly

 

He then snarled sounding like a wolf at the demons

 

"This Human Soul is MINE! I may not be full demon anymore but I'm still the Demon Lord! that's my ranking!" he roared

 

He then takes his left hand off of Shiki and turns his finger nails into claws.

 

"Unless you little demons here want me to rip you to shreds." he said just beyond a whisper

 

Frightened by how menacing he still is even with such a small amount of Demon energy, they all returned Shiki's orbs back to Neku afraid that he may still be powerful enough to kill them.

 

Neku then turned his teeth back into shark teeth and snarled like a wolf at the Demons that approached him. Once all the orbs were near Shiki again all the Demons backed off.

 

"good…now get the hell out of my cathedral." Neku said in a deep voice.

 

All the demons then did as he commanded and flew out of the windows.

 

His friends then look at Neku startled by how he became so menacing, even Joshua looked a little shocked. Neku then closed his eyes and took a deep breath and opened them to have his normal eyes, teeth and finger nails again.

 

"Guys! I'm gonna need help! she's at the brink of fading away so-

 

"Say no more!" Rhyme shouted she then generated white angel energy and passed on to Neku allowing him to at last become an Angel to heal Shiki. This then made Beat, Rhyme and Joshua look in shock at how he did it instantly

 

Unknown to him is that he's going through the afterlife equivalent of an adrenaline rush. His energy is reacting to the intensity of his emotions causing him to be able to absorb energy at an extremely fast pace.

 

He then placed his hand on Shiki's chest causing her to have her orbs go back inside her.

 

"It's not enough" Neku thought.

 

He then remembered what Mr. H told him about energy.

 

"Soul is energy that lives in all things, and in the after life if I want something, I can use my imagination to make it come true." he thought

 

"Joshua I need your energy." he cried

 

Joshua then teleported over to Neku and told Rhyme and Beat to get far away so they weren't too close to his presence. He then went full blast and placed his hand on Neku's shoulder.

 

"Let the energy flow" Neku thought "Just accept it…I can handle this…I…I have to…this is for Shiki! I have to do this for her!"

 

As Neku allowed the energy to go into his body he then felt his angel wings fall off and felt the warmth of his energy. He then opened his eyes and saw he was the same height as Joshua, Neku had finally achieved Composer status.

 

He then extends his hand out to Shiki and stares at her concentrating on what he wants to happen. The energy then reacted to his thoughts and caused Shiki's energy to go completely back in her body. He then got on his knees and placed his hand on her head settling her unstable energy allowing her to relax.

 

He then heard a low mumble causing him to gasp

 

"Shiki? Josh how do I change back?! I can't let her feel my presence." he yelled

 

"Just think about it Neku!" Joshua exclaimed

 

Neku then did his focus pose and concentrated on what he wanted to happen causing him to eventually go back to his Fledgling form and almost pass out, using his right arm as a crutch while panting out of breath.

 

"Nnngh! That kinda hurts making that happen so fast" Neku said weakly

 

Shiki then opened her eyes to see Neku smiling at her extending out his hand.

 

"Neku" she said weakly

 

She then extended out her hand and held on to him as he pulled her up.

 

"you okay?" he asked

 

"yeah thanks" she said smiling

 

"Come on, lets go home" Neku sweetly

 

Shiki then giggled knowing that he meant their after life copy of it and they all started walking away from the throne room. As they did, Neku stopped for a few seconds and looked over his right shoulder, looking back at the throne chair one last time. He then closed his eyes, returning his clothes to his normal Jupiter of the Monkey clothes and looked forward and started walking again, only for something to happen. At that moment though, the moment he took his fith step, Neku felt an intense pain in his back like he was stabbed and this "stab" went down his spine causing Neku to wheeze in pain as he collapsed laying on his stomach, the last thing he saw was his friends running over to him as they screamed his name which only came out as whispers.


End file.
